第15章

The Bearded Man

Travel to Tom and Mr.Damon presented no novelties.They had been on too many voyages over the sea, under the sea and even in the air above the sea to find anything unusual in merely taking a trip on a steamer.

Mr.Titus, though he admitted he had never been in a submarine or airship, had done considerable traveling about the world in his time, and had visited many countries, either for business or pleasure, so he was an old hand at it.

But to Koku, who, since he had been brought from the land where Tom Swift had been made captive, had gone about but little, everything was novel, and he did not know at what to look first.

The giant was interested in the ship, in the water, in the passengers, in the crew and in the sights to be seen as they progressed down the harbor.

And the big man himself was a source of wonder to all save his own party.Everywhere he went about the decks, or below, he was followed by a staring but respectful crowd.Koku took it all good-naturedly, however, and even consented to show his great strength by lifting heavy weights.Once when several sailors were shifting one of the smaller anchors (a sufficiently heavy one for all that) Koku pushed them aside with a sweep of his big arm, and, picking up the big "hook," turned to the second mate and asked:

"Where you want him?"

"Good land, man!" cried the astonished officer."You'll kill yourself!"But Koku carried the anchor where it ought to go, and from then on he was looked up to with awe and admiration by the sailors.

From San Francisco to Callao, Peru (the latter city being the seaport of Lima, which is situated inland), is approximately nine hundred miles.But as the Bellaconda was a coasting steamer, and would make several stops on her trip, it would be more than a week before our friends would land at Callao, then to proceed to Lima, where they expected to remain a day orso before striking into the interior to where the tunnel was being bored through the mountain.

The first day was spent in getting settled, becoming used to their new surroundings, finding their places and neighbors at table, and in making acquaintances.There were some interesting men and women aboard the Bellaconda, and Tom Swift, Mr.Damon and Mr.Titus soon made friends with them.This usually came about through the medium of Koku, the giant.Persons seeing him would inquire about him, and when they learned he was Tom Swift's helper it was an easy topic with which to open conversation.

Tom told, modestly enough, how he had come to get Koku in his escape from captivity, but Mr.Damon was not so simple in describing Tom's feats, so that before many days had passed our hero found himself regarded as a personage of considerable importance, which was not at all to his liking.

"But bless my fountain pen!" cried Mr.Damon, When Tom objected to so much notoriety."You did it all; didn't you?""Yes, I know.But these people won't believe it.""Oh, yes they will!" said the odd man."I'll take good care that they believe it.""If any one say it not so, you tell me!" broke Koku, shaking his huge fist.

"No, I guess I'd better keep still," said Tom, with a laugh.

The weather was pleasant, if we except a shower or two, and as the vessel proceeded south, tropical clothing became the order of the day, while all who could, spent most of their time on deck under the shade of awnings.

"Did you ever hear anything more of that fellow, Waddington?" asked Tom of Mr.Titus one day.

"Not a thing.He seems to have dropped out of sight.""And are your rivals, Blakeson & Grinder, making any trouble?""Not that I've heard of.Though just what the situation may be down in Peru I don't know.I fancy everything isn't going just right or my brother would not be so anxious for me to come on in such a hurry." "Do youanticipate any real trouble?"

Mr.Titus paused a moment before answering."Well, yes," he said, finally, "I do!""What sort?" asked Tom.

"That I can't say.I'll be perfectly frank with you, Tom.You know I told you at the time that we were in for difficulties.I didn't want you to go into this thing blindly.""Oh, I'm not afraid of trouble," Tom hastened to assure his friend."I've had more or less of it in my life, and I'm willing to meet it again.Only I like to know what kind it is.""Well, I can't tell you--exactly," went an the tunnel contractor."Those rivals of ours, Blakeson & Grinder, are unscrupulous fellows.They feel very bitter about not getting the contract, I hear.And they would be only too glad to have us fail in the work.That would mean that they, as the next lowest bidders, would be given the job.And we would have to make up the difference out of our pockets, as well as lose all the work we have, so far, put on the tunnel.""And you don't want that to happen!"