ork we have done, even if
they have to pay our rivals a higher price than we contracted for. It
is our firm that will pocket the loss."

"Well, we'll try not to have that happen," said Tom, with a smile.

"If you're going to use bigger charges of this new explosive, Tom,
won't more rock be brought down?" asked Walter Titus.

"That's what I hope."

"Then we'll need more laborers to bring it out of the tunnel."

"Yes, we could use more I guess. The faster the blasted rock is
removed, the quicker I can put in new charges."

"I'll get more men," decided the contractor. "There won't be any
trouble now that the hoodoo of the missing workers is solved. I'll tell
Serato to scare up all his dusky brethren he can find, and we'll offer
a bonus for good work."

The Indian foreman readily agreed to get more laborers.

"And get some big ones, Serato," urged Job Titus. "Get some fellows
like Koku," for the giant did the work of three men in the tunnel, not
because he was obliged to, but because his enormous strength must find
an outlet in action.

"Um want mans like him?" asked the Indian, nodding toward the giant. He
and Koku were not on good terms, for once, when Koku was a hurry, he
had picked up the Indian (no mean sized man himself) and had calmly set
him to one side. Serato never forgave that.

"Sure, get all the giants you can," Tom said. "But I guess there aren't
any in Peru."

Where Serato found his man, no one knew, and the foreman would not
tell; but a day or so later he appeared at the tunnel camp with an
Indian so large in size that he made the others look like pygmies, and
many of them were above the average in height, too.

"Say, he's a whopper all right!" exclaimed Tom. "But he isn't as big or
as strong as Koku."

"He comes pretty near it," said Job Titus. "With a dozen like him we'd
finish the tunnel on time, thanks to your explosive."

Lamos, the Indian giant, was not quite as large as Koku. That is, he
was not as tall, but he was broader of shoulder. And as to the
strength of the two, well, it was destined to be tried out in a
startling fashion.

In about a week Tom was ready with his first charges of the new
explosive. The extra Indians were on hand, including Lamos, and great
hopes of fast progress were held by the contractors.

The charge was fired and a great mass of broken rock brought down
inside the tunnel.

"That's tearing it up!" cried Job Titus, when the fumes had blown away,
the