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 looked at one another.
There seemed to be something back of
the simple statement--an ominous and portending
"something."
"On the same steamer with us, is he?" mused Tom.
"How did you learn this?" asked Ned.
"Just got a wire from Professor Bumper
telling me. He asked me to telephone to you about
it, as he was too busy to call up on the long
distance from New York. But instead of 'phoning
I decided to come over myself.
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