Chapter V
Mary's Present
Outside a rudely-constructed shack, in the middle of a large field,about a mile away from the nearest of the buildings owned by Tom Swiftand his father, were gathered a group of figures one morning. From theshack, trailing over the ground, were two insulated wires, which led toa pile of rocks and earth some distance off. Out of the temporarybuilding came Koku, the giant, bearing in his arms a big rock, ofpeculiar formation.
"That's it, Koku!" exclaimed Tom Swift. "Now don't drop it on yourtoes."
"No, Master, me no drop," the giant said, as he strode off with theheavy load as easily as a boy might carry a stone for his sling-shot.
Koku placed the big rock on top of the pile of dirt and stones and cameback to the hut, just as Eradicate, the colored man-of-all-work,emerged. Koku was not looking ahead, and ran into Eradicate with suchforce that the latter would have fallen had not the giant clasped hisbig arms about him.
"Heah now! Whut yo' all doin' t' me?" angrily demanded Eradicate. "Yo'done gone an' knocked de breff outen me, dat's whut yo' all done! I'llbash yo' wif a rock, dat's what I'll do!"
Koku, laughing, tried to explain that it was all an accident, butEradicate would not listen. He looked about for a stone to throw at thegiant, though it was doubtful, with his feeble strength, andconsidering the great frame of the big man, if any damage would havebeen done. But Eradicate saw no rocks nearer than the pile in whichended the two insulated wires, and, with mutterings, the negro set offin that direction, shuffling along on his rheumatic legs.
From the shack Tom Swift hailed:
"Hi there, Rad! Come back! Where are you going?"
"I'se gwine t' git a rock, Massa Tom, an' bash de haid ob dat biglummox ob a giant! He done knocked de breff outen me, so he did."
"You come back from that stone pile!" Tom ordered. "I'm going to blowit up in a minute, and if you get too near you'll have the breathknocked out of you worse than Koku did it. Come back, I say!"
But Eradicate was obstinate and kept on. Tom, who was adjusting afiring battery in the shack, laughed, and then in exasperation cried:
"Koku, go and get him and bring him back. Carry him if he won't comeany other way. I don't want the dear old chump to get the fright of hislife, and he sure will if he goes too close. Bring him back!"
"Koku bring, Master," was the giant's answer.
He ran toward Eradicate, who, seeing his tormentor approaching,redoubled his shuffling pace toward the stone pile. But he was no matchfor the giant, who, ignoring his struggles, picked up Eradicate, and,flinging him over his shoulder like a sack of meal, brought him to theshack.
"There him be, Master!" said the giant.
"So I see," laughed Tom. "Now you stay here, Rad."
"No, sah! No, sah, Massa Tom! I--I'se gwine t' git a rock an'--an'bash his haid--dat's what I'se gwine t' do!" and the colored man triedto struggle to his feet.
"Look out now!" cried Tom, suddenly. "If things go right there won't bea rock left for you to 'bash' anybody's head with, Rad. Look out!"
The three cowered inside the shack, which, though it was rudely made,was built of heavy logs and planks, with a fronting of sod and bags ofsand.
Tom turned a switch. There was a loud report, and where the stone pilehad been there was a big hole in the ground, while the air was filledwith fragments of rock and dirt. These came down in a shower on theroof of the shack, and Eradicate covered his ears with his tremblinghands.
"Am--am de world comin' to de end, Massa Tom?" he asked. "Am datGabriel's trump I done heah?"
"No, you dear old goose!" laughed the young inventor. "That was just acharge of my new explosive--a small charge, too. But it seems to havedone the work."
He ran from the shack to the place where the rock pile had been, andpicked up several small fragments.
"Busted all to pieces!" exulted Tom Swift. "Not a piece left as big asa hickory nut. That's going some! I've got the right mixture at last.If an ounce did that, a few hundred pounds ought to knock that Andestunnel through the mountain in no time. I'll telegraph to Mr. Titus."
Leaving Koku and Rad to collect the wires and firing apparatus, therebeing no danger now, as no explosive was left in the shack, Tom madehis way back to the house. His father met him.
"Well, Tom," he asked, "another failure?"
"No, Dad! Success! This time I turned the trick. I seem to have gottenjust the right mixture. Look, these are some of the pieces left fromthe big rock--one of the samples Mr. Titus sent me. It was all crackedup as small as this," and he held out the fragments he had picked up inthe field.
Mr. Swift regarded them for a few moments.
"That's better, Tom," he said. "I didn't think you could get anexplosive that would successfully shatter that hard rock, but you seemto have done it. Have you the formula all worked out?"
"All worked out, Dad. I only made a small quantity, but the sameproportions will hold good for the larger amounts. I'm going to startin and make it now. And then--Ho! for Peru!"
Tom struck an attitude, such as some old discoverer might have assumed,and then he hurried into the house to telephone a telegram to theShopton office. The message was to Mr. Titus, and read:
"Explosive success. Start making it at once. Ready for Peru in month'stime."
"Thirteen words," repeated Tom, as the operator called them back tohim. "I hope that doesn't mean bad luck."
The experiment which Tom Swift had just brought to a successfulconclusion was one of many he had conducted, extending over severalwearying weeks.
As soon as Tom had received the samples of the rock he had begun toexperiment. First he tried some of the explosive that was so successfulin the giant cannon. As he had feared, it was not what was needed. Itcracked the rock, but did not disintegrate it, and that was what wasneeded. The hard rock must be broken up into fragments that could beeasily handled. Merely to crack it necessitated further explosions,which would only serve to split it more and perhaps wedge it fast inthe tunnel.
So Tom tried different mixtures, using various chemicals, but noneseemed to be just right. The trials were not without danger, either.Once, in mixing some ingredients, there was an explosion that injuredone man, and blew Tom some distance away. Fortunately for him, therewas an open window in the direction in which he was propelled, and hewent through that, escaping with only some cuts and bruises.
Another time there was a hang-fire, and the explosive burned instead ofdetonating, so that one of the shops caught, and there was no littlework in subduing the flames.
But Tom would not give up, and finally, after many trials, he hit onwhat he felt to be the right mixture. This he took out to the big lot,and having made a miniature tunnel with some of the sample rock, andhaving put some of the explosive in a hole bored in the big chunk Kokucarried, Tom fired the charge. The result we have seen. It was asuccess.
A day after receiving Tom's message Mr. Titus came on and ademonstration was given of the powerful explosive.
"Tom, that's great!" cried the tunnel contractor. "Our troubles are atan end now."
But, had he known it, new ones were only just beginning.
Tom at once began preparations for making the explosive on a largescale, as much of it would be needed in the Andes tunnel. Then, havingturned the manufacturing end of it over to his men, Tom began hispreparations for going to Peru.
Mr. Damon was also getting ready, and it was arranged that he, with Tomand Mr. Titus, should take a vessel from San Francisco, crossing thecontinent by train. The supply of explosive would follow them byspecial freight.
"We might have gone by Panama except for the slide in the canal," Tomsaid. "And I suppose I could take you across the continent in myairship, Mr. Titus, if you object to railroad travel."
"No, thank you, Tom. If it's just the same to you, I'd rather stay onthe ground," the contractor said. "I'm more used to it."
A day or so before the start for San Francisco was to be made, Tom,passing a store in Shopton
, saw something in the window he thought MaryNestor would like. It was a mahogany work-box, of unique design,beautifully decorated, and Tom purchased it.
"Shall I have it sent?" asked the clerk.
"No, thank you," Tom answered.
He knew the young lady who had waited on him, and, for reasons of hisown, he did not want her to know that Mary was to get the box.
Carrying the present to his laboratory, Tom prepared to wrap it upsuitably to send to Mary, with a note. Just, however, as he was lookingfor a box suitable to contain the gift, he received a summons to thetelephone. Mr. Titus, in New York, wanted to speak to him.
"Here, Rad!" Tom called. "Just box this up for me, like a good fellow,and then take it to Miss Nestor at this address; will you?" and Tomhanded his man the addressed letter he had written to Mary. "Be carefulof it," Tom cautioned.
"Oh, I'll be careful, Massa Tom," was the reply. "I'll shore becareful."
And Eradicate was--all too careful.