I'll telegraph to Mr. Titus."
Leaving Koku and Rad to collect the wires and firing
apparatus, there being no danger now, as no explosive was
left in the shack, Tom made his way back to the house. His
father met him.
"Well, Tom," he asked, "another failure?"
"No, Dad! Success! This time I turned the trick. I seem to
have gotten just the right mixture. Look, these are some of
the pieces left from the big rock--one of the samples Mr.
Titus sent me. It was all cracked up as small as this," and
he held out the fragments he had picked up in the field.
Mr. Swift regarded them for a few moments.
"That's better, Tom," he said. "I didn't think you could
get an explosive that would successfully shatter that hard
rock, but you seem to have done it. Have you the formula all
worked out?"
"All worked out, Dad. I only made a small quantity, but
the same proportions will hold good for the larger amounts.
I'm going to start in and make it now. And then--Ho! for
Peru!"
Tom struck an attitude, such as some old discoverer might
have assumed, and then he hurried into the house to
telephone a telegram to the Shopton office. The message
was to Mr. Titus, and read:
"Explosive success. Start making it at once. Ready for
Peru in month's time."
"Thirteen words," repeated Tom, as the operator called
them back to him. "I hope that doesn't mean bad luck.
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