"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Sr 020 - Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

death. And he was as cool about it as an ice-cream cone. Surely you
remember!''

``Swyington Bumper! Oh, yes, now I remember him,'' said Ned Newton.
``But what has he got to do with a wonderful story? Has he written more
about the lost city of Pelone? If he has I don't see anything so very
wonderful in that.''

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``There isn't,'' agreed Tom. ``But this isn't that,'' and Tom picked
up the magazine and leafed it to find the article he had been reading.

``Let's have a look at it,'' suggested Ned. ``You act as though you
might be vitally interested in it. Maybe you're thinking of joining forces
with the professor again, as you did when you dug the big tunnel.''

``Oh, no. I haven't any such idea,'' Tom said. ``I've got enough work
laid out now to keep me in Shopton for the next year. I have no notion of
going anywhere with Professor Bumper. Yet I can't help being impressed by
this,'' and, having found the article in the magazine to which he referred,
he handed it to his chum.

``Why, it's by Bumper himself!'' exclaimed Ned.

``Yes. Though there's nothing remarkable in that, seeing that he is
constantly contributing articles to various publications or writing books.
It's the story itself that's so wonderful. To save you the trouble of
wading through a lot of scientific detail, which I know you don't care
about, I'll tell you that the story is about a queer idol of solid gold,
weighing many pounds, and, in consequence, of great value.''

``Of solid gold you say?'' asked Ned eagerly.

``That's it. Got on your banking air already,''

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Tom laughed. ``To sum it up for you -- notice I use the word `sum,' which
is very appropriate for a bank -- the professor has got on the track of
another lost or hidden city. This one, the name of which doesn't appear, is
in the Copan valley of Honduras, and -- -- ''

``Copan,'' interrupted Ned. ``It sounds like the name of some new
floor varnish.''

``Well, it isn't, though it might be,'' laughed Tom. ``Copan is a
city, in the Department of Copan, near the boundary between Honduras and