hen a murmur of
wonder came from every one, save from Tom Swift. He, modestly, kept
silent.

"Bless my breakfast orange!" cried Mr. Damon. "What a big hole!"

There was a great gash blown in the hard rock which had acted as a bar
to the further progress of the tunnel. A great heap of rock, broken
into small fragments, was on the floor of the shaft, and there was a
big hole filled with debris which would have to be removed before the
extent of the blast could be seen.

"That's doing the work!" cried Job Titus.

"It beats any two blasts we ever set off," declared his brother.

"Much fine!" muttered the Peruvian foreman, Serato.

"It's a lalapaloosa, lad! Thot's what it is!" enthusiastically
exclaimed Tim Sullivan. "Now the black beggars will have some rock to
shovel! Come on there, Serato, git yer lazy imps t' work cartin' this
stuff away. We've got a man on th' job now in this new powder of Tom
Swift's. Git busy!"

"Um!" grunted the Indian, and he called to his men who were soon busy
with picks and shovels, loading the loosened rock and earth into the
mule-hauled dump cars which took it to the mouth of the tunnel, whence
it was shunted off on another small railroad to fill in a big gulch to
save bridging it.

Tom's first blast was very successful, and enough rock was loosed to
keep the laborers busy for a week. The contractors were more than
satisfied.

"At this rate we'll finish ahead of time, and earn a premium," said Job
to his brother.

"That's right. You didn't make any mistake in appealing to Tom Swift.
But I wonder if Blakeson & Grinder have given up trying to get the job
away from us?"

"I don't know. I'd never trust them. We must watch out for Waddington.
That bomb on the vessel had a funny look, even if it was not meant to
kill Tom or me. I won't relax any."

"No, I guess it wouldn't be safe."

But a week went by without any manifestation having been made by the
rival tunnel contractors. During that week more of Tom's explosive
arrived, and he busied himself getting ready another blast which could
be set off as soon as the debris from the first should have been
cleared away.

Meanwhile, Professor Bumper, with his Indian guides and helpers, had
made several trips into the mountain regions about Rimac, but each time
that he returned to the tunnel camp to renew his supplies, he had only
a story of failure to recite.

"But I am positive that somewhere in this vicinity is the lost Peruvian
ci