"Then no more need be said," retorted the
younger man. "I shall give orders to my friends,
as well as to the natives, to keep away from
your camp, and I shall expect you to do the
same regarding mine."
"I should have suggested the same thing
myself," came from Tom's friend, and the two rival
scientists fairly glared at one another, the others
of both parties looking on with interest.
Professor Bumper turned and walked defiantly
back to his tent. Professor Beecher did the same
thing. Then, after a short consultation among
the white members of the latter's organization,
their tents were set up in another clearing,
removed and separated by a screen of trees and
bushes from those of Tom Swift's friends. The
natives of the Beecher party also withdrew a little
way from those of Professor Bumper's organization,
and then preparations for spending the
night in the jungle went on in the rival
headquarters.
"Well, he certainly had nerve, to deny, practically,
that he had set Jacinto up to do what he did," commented Tom.
"I should say so!" agreed Ned.
"How do you imagine he got here nearly as
soon as we did, when he did not start until
later?" asked Mr. Damon.
"He did not have the unfortunate experience
of being deserted in the jungle," replied Tom.
"He probably had Jacinto, or some of that
unprincipled scoundrel's friends, show him a short
route to Copan and he came on from there."
"Well, I did hope we might have the ground
to ourselves, at least for the preliminary explorations
and excavations.
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