Bumper and Mr. Damon know we ought to have little trouble in
getting ahead of the young man."

"Not to speak of your own aid," added Ned.

"Oh, I'll do what I can, of course," said Tom, with an air of
indifference. But Ned knew his chum would work ceaselessly to help get
the idol of gold.

Tom gave no sign that there was any complication in his affair with
Mary Nestor, and of course Ned did not tell anything of what he knew
about it.

That night saw the preparations of Ned and Tom about completed. There
were one or two matters yet to finish on Tom's part in relation to his
business, but these offered no difficulties.

The two chums were in the Swift home, talking over the prospective
trip, when Mrs. Baggert, answering a ring at the front door, announced
that Mr. Damon was outside.

"Tell him to come in," ordered Tom.

"Bless my baggage check!" exclaimed the excitable man, as he shook
hands with Tom and Ned and noted the packing evidences all about.
"You're ready to go to the land of wonders."

"The land of wonders?" repeated Ned.

"Yes, that's what Professor Bumper calls the part of Honduras we're
going to. And it must be wonderful, Tom. Think of whole cities, some
of them containing idols and temples of gold, buried thirty and forty
feet under the surface! Wonderful is hardly the name for it!"

"It'll be great!" cried Ned. "I suppose you're ready, Mr. Damon--you
and the professor?"

"Yes. But, Tom, I have a bit of unpleasant news for you."

"Unpleasant news?"

"Yes. You know Professor Bumper spoke of a rival--a man named Beecher
who is a member of the faculty of a new and wealthy college."

"I heard him speak of him--yes," and the way Tom said it no one would
have suspected that he had any personal interest in the matter.

"He isn't going to give his secret away," thought Ned.

"Well, this Professor Beecher, you know," went on Mr. Damon, "also
knows about the idol of gold, and is trying to get ahead of Professor
Bumper in the search."

"He did say something of it, but nothing was certain," remarked Tom.

"But it is certain!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Bless my toothpick, it's
altogether too certain!"

"How is that?" asked Tom. "Is Beecher certainly going to Honduras?"

"Yes, of course. But what is worse, he and his party will leave New
York on the same steamer with us!"

CHAPTER VII

TOM HEARS SOMETHING

On hearing Mr. Damon's rather startling announcement, Tom and Ned
looke