第11章

Mr.Nestor's Letter

"Got t' git a good strong box fo' dish yeah," murmured Eradicate, as he looked at the beautiful mahogany present Tom had turned over to him to take to Mary."Mah Landy! Dat suttinly am nice; Ah! Um! Jest laik some ob de old mahogany furniture dat was in our fambily down Souf." Eradicate did not mean his family, exactly, but the one in which he had been a slave.

"Yassum, dat shore am nice!" he went on, talking to himself as he admired the present."I shore got t' put dat in a good box! An' dish year note, too.Let's see what it done say on de outside."Eradicate held the envelope carefully upside down, and read--or rather pretended to read--the name and address.Eradicate knew well enough where Mary lived, for this was not the first time he had gone there with messages from his young master.

"Massa Tom shore am a fine writer," mused the negro, as he slowly turned the envelope around."I cain't read nobody's writin' but hisen, nohow."Had Eradicate been strictly honest with himself, he would have confessed that he could not read any writing, or printing either.His education had been very limited, but one could show him, say, a printed sign and tell him it read "Danger" or "Five miles to Branchville," or anything like that, and the next time he saw it, Eradicate would know what that sign said.He seemed to fix a picture of it in his mind, though the letters and figures by themselves meant nothing to him.So when Tom told him the envelope contained the name and address of Miss Nestor, Eradicate needed nothing more.

He rummaged about in some odds and ends in the corner of the laboratory, and brought out a strong, wooden box, which had a cover that screwed down.

"Dat'll be de ticket!" Eradicate exclaimed.De mahogany present willjest fit." Eradicate took some excelsior to pad the box, and then, dropping inside it the gift, already wrapped in tissue paper, he proceeded to screw on the cover.

There was something printed in red letters on the outside box, but Eradicate could not read, so it did not trouble him.

"Dat Miss Nestor shore will laik her present," he murmured."An' I'll be mighty keerful ob it' laik Massa Tom tole me.He wouldn't trust dat big lummox Koku wif anyt'ing laik dis."Screwing on the cover, and putting a piece of wrapping paper outside the rough, wooden box.with the letter in his hand, Eradicate, full of his own importance, set off for Miss Nestor's house.Tom had not returned from the telephone, over which he was talking to Mr.Titus.

The message was an important one.The contractor said he had received word from his brother in Peru that his presence was urgently needed there.

"Could you arrange to get off sooner than we planned, Tom?" asked Mr.Titus."I am afraid something has happened down there.Have you sent the first shipment of explosive?""Yes, that went three days ago.It ought to arrive at Lima soon after we do.Why yes, I can start to-night if we have to.I'll find out if Mr.Damon can be with us on such short notice.""I wish you would," came from Mr.Titus."And say, Tom, do you think you could take that giant Koku with you?""Why?"

"Well, I think he'd come in handy.There are some pretty rough characters in those Andes Mountains, and your big friend might be useful.""All right.I was thinking of it, anyhow.Glad you mentioned it.Now I'll call up Mr.Damon, and I'll let you know, in an hour or so, if he can make it.""Bless my hair brush, yes, Tom!" exclaimed the eccentric man, when told of the change in plans."I can leave to-night as well as not."Word to this effect was sent on to Mr.Titus, and then began some hurrying on the part of Tom Swift.He told Koku to get ready to leave forNew York at once, where he and the giant would join Mr.Titus and Mr.Damon, and start across the continent to take for steamer for Lima, Peru.

"Rad, did you send that present to Miss Nestor?" asked Tom, later, as he finished packing his grip.

"Yas, sah.I done did it.Took it mase'f!""That's good! I guess I'll have to say good-bye to Mary over the telephone.I won't have time to call.I'm glad I thought of the present."Tom got the Nestor house on the wire.But Mary was not in."There's a package here for her," said the girl's mother."Did you--?""Yes, I sent that," Tom said."Sorry I won't he able to call and say good-bye, but I'm in a terrible rush.I'll see her as soon as I get back, and I'll write as soon as I arrive.""Do," urged Mrs.Nestor."We'll all be glad to hear from you," for Tom and Mary were tentatively engaged to be married.

Tom and Koku went on with their hurried preparations to leave for New York.Eradicate begged to be taken along, but Tom gently told the faithful old servant that it was out of the question.