It happened that the colored man, Eradicate, was on guard at the gates this day when the stranger asked to see Tom.Koku, working on the airship engine not far away, saw the stranger.Hearing the man say he was in a hurry and noting the slow progress of the aged Eradicate, who was troubled with rheumatism, the giant took matters into his own hands.
Tom Swift entered the gate-house and saw, seated in a chair, a man who was impatiently tapping the floor with his thick-soled shoe.
"Looks like a detective or a policeman in disguise," thought Tom, for, almost invariably, members of this profession wear very thick-soled shoes.Opposite the stranger sat Eradicate, a much-injured look on his honest, black face.
"Oh, Massa Tom!" exclaimed Eradicate, as soon as the young inventor entered."Dat Koku he--he--he done gone and cotch me by de collar ob mah coat, an' den he lif' me up, an' he sot me down so hard--so hard--dat he jar loose all mah back teef!" and Eradicate opened his mouth wide to display his gleaming ivories.
"Eradicate, he no can come quick.He walk like so fashion!" and Koku, who had followed the young inventor, imitated the limping gait of the colored man with such a queer effect that Tom could not help laughing, and the stranger smiled.
"Ef I gits holt on yo'--ef I does, yo' great, big, overgrown lummox, Ah'll--Ah'll--" began the colored man, stammeringly.
"There.That will do now!" interrupted Tom."Don't quarrel in here.Koku, get back to that engine and lift out the motor.Eradicate, didn't father tell you to whitewash the chicken coops to-day?""Dat's what he done, Massa Tom.
"Well, go and see about that.I'll stay here for a while, and when I leave I'll call one of you, or some one else, to be on guard.Skip now!"Having thus disposed of the warring factions, Tom turned to the stranger and after apologizing for the little interruption, asked:
"You wished to see me?" "If you're Tom Swift; yes.""Well, I'm Tom Swift," and the young owner of the name smiled.
"I hope you will pardon a stranger for calling on you," resumed the man, "but I'm in a lot of trouble, and I think you are the only one who can help me out.""What sort of trouble?" Tom inquired.
"Contracting trouble--tunnel blasting, to be exact.But if you have a few minutes to spare perhaps you will listen to my story.You will then be better able to understand my difficulty."Tom Swift considered a moment.He was used to having appeals for help made to him, and usually they were of a begging nature.He was often asked for money to help some struggling inventor complete his machine.
In many cases the machines would have been of absolutely no use if perfected.In other cases the inventions were of the utterly hopeless class, incapable of perfection, like some perpetual motion apparatus.In these cases Tom turned a deaf ear, though if the inventor were in want our hero relieved him.
But this case did not seem to be like anything Tom had ever met with before.
"Contracting trouble--blasting," repeated the youth, as he mused over what he had heard.
"That's it," the man went on."Permit me to introduce myself" and he held out a card, on which was the nameMR.JOB TITUS
Down in the lower left-hand corner was a line:
"Titus Brothers, Contractors."
"I am glad to meet you, "Mr.Titus," Tom said warmly, offering his hand."I don't know anything about the contracting business, but if you do blasting I suppose you use explosives, and I know a little about them.""So I have heard, and that's why I came to you," the contractor went on."Now if you'll give me a few minutes of your time--""You had better come up to the house," interrupted Tom."We can talk more quietly there."Calling a young fellow who was at work near by to occupy the gate- house, Tom led Mr.Titus toward the Swift homestead, and, a little later, ushered him into the library.
"Now I'll listen to you," the youth said, "though I can't promise to aid you.""I realize that," returned Mr.Titus."This is a sort of last chance I'm taking.My brother and I have heard a lot about you, and when he wrote to me that he was unable to proceed with his contract of tunneling the Andes Mountains for the Peruvian government, I made up my mind you were the one who could help us if you would.""Tunneling the Andes Mountains!" exclaimed Tom.
"Yes.The firm represented by my brother and myself have a contract to build a railroad for the Peruvian government.At a point some distance back in the district east of Lima, Peru, we are making a tunnel under the mountain.That is, we have it started, but now we can't advance any further.""Why not?"
"Because of the peculiar character of the rock, which seems to defy the strongest explosive we can get.Now I understand you used a powder in your giant cannon that--"Mr.Titus paused in his explanation, for at that moment there arose such a clatter out on the front piazza as effectually to drown conversation.There was a noise of the hoofs of a horse, the fall of a heavy body, a tattoo on the porch floor and then came an excited shout:
"Whoa there! Whoa! Stop! Look out where you're kicking! Bless my saddle blanket! Ouch! There I go!"
