st he may awaken to a sense of the injustice he
did you."

But Professor Beecher was not there to hear this. He had stalked away
in anger.

"Humph!" grunted Tom. Then he continued: "That story about a
government concession was all a fake, Professor, else he'd have put up
a fight now. Contemptible sneak!"

In fact the story of Tom Swift's trip to the underground land of
wonders is ended, for with the discovery of the idol of gold the main
object of the expedition was accomplished. But their adventures were
not over by any means, though there is not room in this volume to
record them.

Suffice it to say that means were at once taken to get the golden image
out of the cave of the ancient city. It was not accomplished without
hard work, for the gold was heavy, and Professor Bumper would not,
naturally, consent to the shaving off of so much as an ear or part of
the flat nose, to say nothing of one of the half dozen extra arms and
legs with which the ugly idol was furnished.

Finally it was safely taken out of the cave, and along the stone
passage to the opening formed by the overthrown trees, and thence on to
camp.

And at the camp a surprise awaited Tom.

Some long-delayed mail had been forwarded from the nearest place of
civilization and there were letters for all, including several for our
hero. One in particular he picked out first and read eagerly.

"Well, is every little thing all right, Tom?" asked Ned, as he saw a
cheerful grin spread itself over his chum's face.

"I should say it is, and then some! Look here, Ned. This is a letter
from----"

"I know. Mary Nestor. Go on."

"How'd you guess?"

"Oh, I'm a mind-reader."

"Huh! Well, you know she was away when I went to call to say good-bye,
and I was a little afraid Beecher had got an inside edge on me."

"Had he?"

"No, but he tried hard enough. He went to see Mary in Fayetteville,
just as you heard, before he came on to join his party, but he didn't
pay much of a visit to her."

"No?"

"No. Mary told him he'd better hurry along to Central America, or
wherever it was he intended going, as she didn't care for him as much
as he flattered himself she did."

"Good!" cried Ned. "Shake, old man. I'm glad!"

They shook hands.

"Well, what's the matter? Didn't you read all of her letter?" asked
Ned when he saw his chum once more perusing the epistle.

"No. There's a postscript here."

"'Sorry I couldn't see you before you left