Part 18 (1/2)
They were all anxious, Tom included, to hurry into the tunnel to see how much rock had been loosened by the blast, but it was not safe to venture in until the fumes had been allowed to disperse In about an hour, however, Ti part way in, sniffed the air and called:
”It's all right, byes! Air's clear Now coerly into the shaft, Mr Da at Tom's side, as anxious as the lad hiainst which the bore had been driven, and which was as a solid wall of rock to further progress, they began to tread on fragments of stone
”Well, it blew soood sign”
”I hope so,” Tom remarked
There were still some fumes noticeable in the tunnel, and Mr Da of illness, while Koku, who kept at Tom's side, murmured that it made his eyes smart But the sensations soon passed
They came to a stop as the face of the cliff looht which Job titus switched on Then a murmur of wonder came from every one, save from Tom Swift He, e!” cried Mr Daash blown in the hard rock which had acted as a bar to the further progress of the tunnel A great heap of rock, broken into s hole filled with debris which would have to be removed before the extent of the blast could be seen
”That's doing the work!” cried Job titus
”It beats any two blasts we ever set off,” declared his brother
”Much fine!” muttered the Peruvian foreman, Serato
”It's a lalapaloosa, lad! Thot's what it is!” enthusiastically exclaiars will have soit yer lazy iot a man on th' job now in this neder of Torunted the Indian, and he called to histhe loosened rock and earth into the mule-hauled dump cars which took it to the mouth of the tunnel, whence it was shunted off on another s it
Toh rock was loosed to keep the laborers busy for a week The contractors were more than satisfied
”At this rate we'll finish ahead of time, and earn a preht You didn'tto Toiven up trying to get the job away from us?”
”I don't know I'd never trust theton
That bomb on the vessel had a funny look, even if it was not uess it wouldn't be safe”
But a ent by without anybeenthat weekready another blast which could be set off as soon as the debris from the first should have been cleared away
Meanwhile, Professor buuides and helpers, had ions about Rimac, but each time that he returned to the tunnel camp to renew his supplies, he had only a story of failure to recite
”But I am positive that somewhere in this vicinity is the lost Peruvian city of Pelone,” he said ”Every indication points to this as the region, and the e, the more I am convinced that this is the place spoken of