Part 31 (1/2)

”Switch on the lights,” cried To current had been cut off when the blast was fired ”Let's see e've brought down”

Following the eager young inventor came the contractors, some of the white workers, Mr Damon and Professor bumper The little scientist said he would like to see the effect of the big blast

Along they stue and small

”Some force to it,” observed Job titus, as he observed pieces of rock close to the mouth of the tunnel ”If it only exerted the force the other way, against the face of the rock, as well as back this e'll be all right”

”The greater force was in the opposite direction,” Toot ready to flash on the place where the blast had been set off This was to enable them to see how much rock had been torn away And, as they reached the place where the flint-like wall had been, they saw a strange sight

”Bless asped Mr Damon ”What a hole!”

”It is a hole,” ader hole than I dared hope for”

For a great cave, seely, had been blown in the face of the rock wall that had hindered the progress of the tunnel A great black void confronted theht over this way,” called To it ”I can't see anything”

The great beaht flashed into the void, and then a murmur of awe came from every throat

For there, revealed in the powerful electrical rays, hat seeh and wide, as smooth as a paved street And on either side of it hat appeared to be buildings, so off froes, also lined with buildings, some of which had crumbled to ruins

”Bless my dictionary!” cried Mr Damon ”What is it?”

Professor buazed as if fascinated at what the searchlight showed, and then he cried:

”I have found it! I have found it! The hidden city of Pelone!”

Chapter XXV

Success

Had it not been for Tom Swift, the excited professor would have rushed pellreat cave which had been opened by the blast, the cave in which the scientist declared was the lost city for which he had been searching But the young inventor grasped Mr buested ”There as in there

Some of it must have blown forward”

”I don't care!” excitedly cried the professor ”That is the hidden city! I'o in and examine it!”

”There'll be plenty of ti to run away

Wait until I make a test Tim, hand me one of those torches”

Some torches of a very inflammable ere used to test for the presence of the deadly s excavation

It fell to the stone floor--to the stone street to be htly, further revealed the rows of houses as they stood, silent and uninhabited