"No, but I just happened to think that I nailed my watch up in that
last box."

"Nailed up your watch!" cried Mr. Preston, who, after a trip to New
York to make arrangements for passages on a steamer, had come back
to help Tom pack up.

"Yes, I took it out to see how long it took me to make a box cover,
and then Tom asked me to nail up that box containing the motor
parts, and I laid my watch right down on top, and put the boards
over it."

"Well, the only thing to do is to take off the cover," remarked Tom
grimly.

"Bless my chronometer! That will delay things," said the odd man
with a sigh. "But I suppose there is no hope for it," and he
proceeded to open the box, while Tom, Ned, the circus man and
Eradicate busied themselves over the hundred and one things to be
done before they would be ready for the trip to the interior of
South America.

"Look out, Ned!" called Tom. "You're making those top boards too
long. They'll stick out over the edge, and be ripped off if the box
catches on anything."

"Yes, you can't be too careful," cautioned Mr. Preston. "Each box or
package must be the right weight, or the porters and mule drivers
won't carry them into the interior. You may have to cross rough
trails, and even ford rivers. And as for bridges! well, the less