Up to this time Professor Bumper had said very little.  He had sat still in his chair listening to Mr. Damon.  But now that the latter had ceased, at least for a time, Tom and Ned looked toward the scientist.

“I understand, Tom,” he said, “that you read my article in the magazine, about the possibility of locating some of the lost and buried cities of Honduras?”

“Yes, Ned and I each read it.  It was quite wonderful.”

“And yet there are more wonders to tell,” went on the professor.  “I did not give all the details in that article.  I will tell you some of them.  I have brought copies of the documents with me,” and he opened a small valise and took out several bundles tied with pink tape.

“As Mr. Damon said,” he went on while arranging his papers, “he met me on the train, and he was so taken by the story of the idol of gold that he agreed to accompany me to Central America.”

“On one condition!” put in the eccentric man.

“What’s that?  You didn’t make any conditions while we were talking,” said the scientist.

“Yes, I said I’d go if Tom Swift did.”

“Oh, yes.  You did say that.  But I don’t call that a condition, for of course Tom Swift will go.  Now let me tell you something more than I could impart over the telephone.

“Soon after I called you up, Tom—­and it was quite a coincidence that it should have been at a time when you had just finished my magazine article.  Soon after that, as I was saying, I arranged to come on to Shopton.  And now I’m glad we’re all here together.

“But how comes it, Ned Newton, that you are not in the bank?”

“I’ve left there,” explained Ned.

“He’s now general financial man for the Swift Company,” Tom explained.  “My father and I found that we could not look after the inventing and experimental end, and money matters, too, and as Ned had had considerable experience this way we made him take over those worries,” and Tom laughed genially.

“No worries at all, as far as the Swift Company is concerned,” returned Ned.

“Well, I guess you earn your salary,” laughed Tom.  “But now, Professor Bumper, let’s hear from you.  Is there anything more about this idol of gold that you can tell us?”

“Plenty, Tom, plenty.  I could talk all day, and not get to the end of the story.  But a lot of it would be scientific detail that might be too dry for you in spite of this excellent lemonade,”

Between them Koku and Eradicate had managed to make a pitcher of the beverage, though Mrs. Baggert, the housekeeper, told Tom afterward that the two had a quarrel in the kitchen as to who should squeeze the lemons, the giant insisting that he had the better right to “punch” them.

“So, not to go into too many details,” went on the professor, “I’ll just give you a brief outline of this story of the idol of gold.