Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel | Page 3

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TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL or The Hidden City of the
Andes
by Victor Appleton

CONTENTS I An Appeal for Aid II Explanations III A Face at the
Window IV Tom's Experiments V Mary's Present VI Mr. Nestor's
Letter VII Off for Peru VIII The Bearded Man IX The Bomb X
Professor Bumper XI In the Andes XII The Tunnel XIII Tom's
Explosive XIV Mysterious Disappearances XV Frightened Indians XVI
On the Watch XVII The Condor XVIII The Indian Strike XIX A
Woman Tells XX Despair XXI A New Explosive XXII The Fight
XXIII A Great Blast XXIV The Hidden City XXV Success

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL
Chapter I
An Appeal for Aid

Tom Swift, seated in his laboratory engaged in trying to solve a
puzzling question that had arisen over one of his inventions, was
startled by a loud knock on the door. So emphatic, in fact, was the
summons that the door trembled, and Tom started to his feet in some
alarm.
"Hello there!" he cried. "Don't break the door, Koku!" and then he
laughed. "No one but my giant would knock like that," he said to
himself. "He never does seem able to do things gently. But I wonder
why he is knocking. I told him to get the engine out of the airship, and
Eradicate said he'd be around to answer the telephone and bell. I
wonder if anything has happened?
Tom shoved back his chair, pushed aside the mass of papers over which
he had been puzzling, and strode to the door. Flinging it open he
confronted a veritable giant of a man, nearly eight feet tall, and big in
proportion. The giant, Koku, for that was his name, smiled in a
good-natured way, reminding one of an overgrown boy.
"Master hear my knock?" the giant asked cheerfully.
"Hear you, Koku? Say, I couldn't hear anything else!" exclaimed Tom.
"Did you think you had to arouse the whole neighborhood just to let me
know you were at the door? Jove! I thought you'd have it off the
hinges."
"If me break, me fix," said Koku, who, from his appearance and from
his imperfect command of English, was evidently a foreigner.
"Yes, I know you can fix lots of things, Koku," Tom went on, kindly
enough. "But you musn't forget what enormous strength you have.

That's the reason I sent you to take the engine out of the airship. You
can lift it without using the chain hoist, and I can't get the chain hoist
fast unless I remove all the superstructure. I don't want to do that. Did
you get the engine out?"
"Not quite. Almost, Master."
"Then why are you here? Has anything gone wrong?"
"No, everything all right, Master. But man come to machine shop and
say he must have talk with you. I no let him come past the gate, but I
say I come and call you."
"That's right, Koku. Don't let any strangers past the gate. But why
didn't Eradicate come and call me. He isn't doing anything, is he?
Unless, indeed, he has gone to feed his mule, Boomerang."
"Eradicate, he come to call you, but that black man no good!" and
Koku chuckled so heartily that he shook the floor of the office.
"What's the matter with Eradicate?" asked Tom, somewhat anxiously.
"I hope you and he haven't had another row?" Eradicate had served
Tom and his father long before Koku, the giant, had been brought back
from one of the young inventor's many strange trips, and ever since
then there had been a jealous rivalry between the twain as to who
should best serve Tom.
"No trouble, Master," said Koku. "Eradicate he start to come and tell
you strange man want to have talk, but Eradicate he no come fast
enough. So I pick him