in Copan itself, Professor Bumper and
his party made a detour, and finally, after much consultation with Tom
over the ancient maps, the scientist announced that he thought they
were in the vicinity of the buried city.

"We will begin test excavations in the morning," he said.

The party was in camp, and preparations were made for spending the
night in the forest, when from among the trees there floated to the
ears of our friends a queer Indian chant.

"Some one is coming," said Tom to Ned.

Almost as he spoke there filed into the clearing where the camp had
been set up, a cavalcade of white men, followed by Indians. And at the
sight of one of the white men Tom Swift uttered a cry.

"Professor Beecher!" gasped the young inventor.

CHAPTER XVII

THE LOST MAP

The on-marching company of white men, with their Indian attendants,
came to a halt on the edge of the clearing as they caught sight of the
tents already set up there. The barbaric chant of the native bearers
ceased abruptly, and there was a look of surprise shown on the face of
Professor Fenimore Beecher. For Professor Beecher it was, in the lead
of the rival expedition.

"Bless my shoe laces!" exclaimed Mr. Damon.

"Is it really Beecher?" asked Ned, though he knew as well as Tom that
it was the young archaeologist.

"It certainly is!" declared Tom. "And he has nerve to follow us so
closely!"

"Maybe he thinks we have nerve to get here ahead of him," suggested
Ned, smiling grimly.

"Probably," agreed Tom, with a short laugh. "Well, it evidently
surprises him to find us here at all, after the mean trick he played on
us to get Jacinto to lead us into the jungle and desert us."

"That's right," assented Ned. "Well, what's the next move?"

There seemed to be some doubt about this on the part of both
expeditions. At the sight of Professor Beecher, Professor Bumper, who
had come out of his tent, hurriedly turned to Tom and asked him what he
thought it best to do.

"Do!" exclaimed the eccentric Mr. Damon, not giving Tom time to reply.
"Why, stand your ground, of course! Bless my house and lot! but we're
here first! For the matter of that, I suppose the jungle is free and we
can no more object to his coming: here than he can to our coming.
First come, first served, I suppose is the law of the forest."

Meanwhile the surprise occasioned by the unexpected meeting of their
rivals seemed to have spread something like consternation among the