Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders

“We’ll get ahead of Beecher yet,” said Tom.

“You seem as anxious as Professor Bumper,” observed Mr. Damon,

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“I guess I am,” admitted Tom. “I want to see that idol of gold in the possession of our party.”

The night passed without incident, and then, telling his new friends that he would return as soon as possible with help, Tolpec, taking a small supply of food with him, set out through the jungle again.

As the green vines and creepers closed after him, and the explorers were left alone with their possessions piled around them, Ned remarked:

“After all, I wonder if it was wise to let him go?”

“Why not?” asked Tom.

“Well, maybe he only wanted to get us back here, and then he’ll desert, too. Maybe that’s what he’s done now, making us lose two or three days by inducing us to return, waiting for what will never happen — his return with other natives.”

A silence followed Ned’s intimation.

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Chapter 15

CHAPTER XV

IN THE COILS

“NED, do you really think Tolpec is going to desert us?” asked Tom.

“Well, I don’t know,” was the slowly given reply. “It’s a possibility, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” broke in Professor Bumper. “But what if it is? We might as well trust him, and if he proves true, as I believe he will, we’ll be so much better off. If he proves a traitor we’ll only have lost a few days, for if he doesn’t come back we can go on again in the way we started.”

“But that’s just it!” complained Tom. “We don’t want to lose any time with that Beecher chap on our trail.”