Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders

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“Quick! Yes! Tell us!” demanded Tom eagerly. “What did he do with the professor’s map that was in the oiled silk? Where is it?”

“Oh, Se�ors!” exclaimed the Indian woman, thinking perhaps her husband was about to be dealt harshly with when she heard Tom’s excited voice. “Tal do no harm!”

“No, he did no harm,” went on Tom, in a reassuring tone. “But he can do a whole lot of good if he tells us what became of the map that was in this oiled silk. Where is it?” he asked again.

“Valdez burn it up,” answered Tal.

“What, burned the professor’s map?” cried Ned.

“If that was in this yellow cloth — yes,” answered the injured man. “Valdez he is bad. He say to me he is going to your camp to see what he can take. How he got this I know not, but he come back one morning with the yellow package.

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I see him, but he make me promise not to tell. But you save my life I tell you everything.

“Valdez open the package; but it is not gold, though he think so because it is yellow, and the man with no hair on his head keep it in his pocket close, so close,” and Tal hugged himself to indicate what he meant.

“That’s Professor Bumper,” explained Ned.

“How did Valdez get the map out of the professor’s coat?” asked Tom.

“Valdez he very much smart. When man with no hair on his head take coat off for a minute to eat breakfast Valdez take yellow thing out of pocket.”

“The Indian must have sneaked into camp when we were eating,” said Tom. “Those from Beecher’s party and our workers look all alike to us. We wouldn’t know one from the other, and one of our rival’s might slip in.”