When they all met outside the cave, Tom asked Max if he would bring the carved bowl to the village. “I’d like to photograph it with a special camera to see how old it is. You could have it right back.”
“Oh, you take it along,” the giant said. “Those little men scare me, just like kids do.”
The huge wrestler’s admission seemed so incongruous that it was all Tom and his friends
122 ELECTRONIC RETROSCOPE
could do to refrain from laughing at him. Apparently Magnificent Max’s boastfulness was more of a cover-up than they had suspected!
The young inventor smiled and said politely, “Thanks a lot. I’ll see that the bowl is returned safely.”
The four companions waved good-by and trudged back to the trail where the truck and jeep were parked.
“You want to drive the truck, Tom?” Chow asked.
Tom considered, then shook his head. “No, you and Jack take the truck and go on ahead,” he decided. “I’ll ride the jeep with Frenchy and carry the bowl in my hands.”
“Okey-dokey. Drive careful, buckaroos!”
Jack took the wheel, Chow climbed into the cab beside him, and the truck rumbled off. Tom and Frenchy followed.
For a while both vehicles wrent slowly. Then, as the truck gradually increased speed, Frenchy also put on power in order to keep the truck in view. A few moments later the jeep’s right wheel suddenly struck an unseen obstacle.
The jolt threw Tom half off the seat and the precious bowl flew from his lap!
“Oh!” he exclaimed, making a desperate lunge out of the car. He grabbed the bowl in mid-air only a moment before it would have crashed to the ground!
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