Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders

“Let’s have a look at it,” suggested Ned. “You act as though you might be vitally interested in it. Maybe you’re thinking of joining forces with the professor again, as you did when you dug the big tunnel.”

“Oh, no. I haven’t any such idea,” Tom said. “I’ve got enough work laid out now to keep me in Shopton for the next year. I have no notion of going anywhere with Professor Bumper. Yet I can’t help being impressed by this,” and, having found the article in the magazine to which he referred, he handed it to his chum.

“Why, it’s by Bumper himself!” exclaimed Ned.

“Yes. Though there’s nothing remarkable in that, seeing that he is constantly contributing articles to various publications or writing books. It’s the story itself that’s so wonderful. To save you the trouble of wading through a lot of scientific detail, which I know you don’t care about, I’ll tell you that the story is about a queer idol of solid gold, weighing many pounds, and, in consequence, of great value.”

“Of solid gold you say?” asked Ned eagerly.

“That’s it. Got on your banking air already,”

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-5—

Tom laughed. “To sum it up for you — notice I use the word `sum,’ which is very appropriate for a bank — the professor has got on the track of another lost or hidden city. This one, the name of which doesn’t appear, is in the Copan valley of Honduras, and — — ”

“Copan,” interrupted Ned. “It sounds like the name of some new floor varnish.”

“Well, it isn’t, though it might be,” laughed Tom. “Copan is a city, in the Department of Copan, near the boundary between Honduras and Guatemala. A fact I learned from the article and not because I remembered my geography.”