o serious
effects," he said, smiling.

"It was no accident!" burst out Ned.

"No accident? You surprise me. I thought--"

"Oh, Ned means that some of the cables look as though they had been
cut," hastily put in Tom, nudging his chum in the ribs as a signal for
him to keep quiet.

"The cables cut!" exclaimed the German, and his voice indicated anxious
solicitude.

"Or else filed," went on Tom easily, with a warning glance at Ned. "But
I dare say they were old cables, that had been used on other work, and
may have become frayed. Everything is safe now, though. New cables were
lashed on this morning."

"I am glad to hear it. It would be a--er--ah, a national calamity to
lose so valuable a gun, and the opening of the canal so near at hand. I
am glad that your invention is safe, Herr Swift," and he smiled
genially at Tom and Ned.

"What did you shut me off for?" asked Ned, when he and his chum were
alone in their stateroom again.

"Because I didn't want you to make any breaks before him," answered Tom.

"Then you suspect--"

"I suspect many things, Ned, but I'm not going to show my hand until
I'm ready. I'm going to watch and listen."

"And I'll be with you."

But no further accidents occurred. There were no more storms, no
attempt was made to meddle with Tom's powder, and in due season the
ship arrived at Colon, and after much labor the great gun, its
carriage, the shells and the powder were taken to the barbette at the
Gatun locks, designed to admit vessels from the Caribbean Sea into
Gatun Lake.

"And now for some more hard work," remarked Tom, as all the needful
stores were landed.

CHAPTER XXIII

NEWS OF THE MINE

"Just a little farther over this way, Ned. That's better. Now mark it
there, and we'll have it clamped down."

"But can you get enough elevation here, Tom?"

"Oh, yes, I think so. Besides, I've added a few more inches to the lift
of the disappearing carriage, and it will send the gun so much farther
in the air. I think this will do. Where is Koku?"

"Here I be, Master."

"Just get hold of that small derrick, Koku, and lift up one of the
projectiles. I want to see if they come in the right place for the
breech before I set the hoisting apparatus permanently."

The giant was soon engaged in winding up the rope of an improvised
hoist that stood about in the position the permanent one was to go.
From the interior of the barbette, which was, in effect, a bomb-proof
structure,