"I'm afraid neither of them would be quite
up to telephone talk yet," laughed Tom. "No,
this was the gentleman who wrote that interesting
article about the idol of gold," and he
motioned to the magazine Ned held in his hand.

"You don't mean Professor Bumper!"

"That's just whom I do mean."

"What did he want? Where did he call
from?"

"He wants me to help organize an expedition
to go to Central America--to the Copan valley,
to be exact--to look for this somewhat mythical
idol of gold. Incidentally the professor will
gather in any other antiques of more or less
value, if he can find any, and he hopes, even if he
doesn't find the idol, to get enough historical
material for half a dozen books, to say nothing
of magazine articles."

"Where did he call from; did you say?"

"I didn't say. But it was a long-distance call
from New York. The Professor stopped off
there on his way from Boston, where he has been
lecturing before some society. And now he's