n Francisco and aboard the steamer. I hope Mr.
Damon arrives on time."

"Oh, you can generally depend on him," said Tom. "I telephoned him,
just before I started from Shopton, and he said--"

"Bless my carpet slippers!" cried a voice outside the hotel apartment.
"But I can find my way all right. I know the number of the room. No!
you needn't take my bag. I can carry it my self!"

"There he is!" laughed Tom, opening the door to disclose the eccentric
gentleman himself, struggling to keep possession of his valise against
the importunities of a bellboy.

"Ah, Tom--Mr. Titus! Glad to see you!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "I--I am a
little late, I fear--had an accident--wait until I get my breath," and
he sank, panting, into a chair.

"Accident?" cried Tom. "Are you--?"

"Yes--my taxicab ran into another. Nobody hurt though."

"But you're all out of breath," said Mr. Titus. "Did you run?"

"No, but I walked upstairs."

"What! Seven flights?" exclaimed Tom. "Weren't the hotel elevators
running?"

"Yes, but I don't like them. I'd rather walk. And I did--carried my
valise--bellboy tried to take it away from me every step--here you are,
son--it wasn't the tip I was trying to get out of," and he tossed the
waiting and grinning lad a quarter.

"There, I'm better now," went on Mr. Damon, when Tom had given him a
glass of water. "Bless my paper weight! The drug concern will have to
vote me an extra dividend for what I've gone through. Well, I'm here,
anyhow. How is everything?"

"Fine!" cried Tom. "We'll soon be off for Peru!"

They talked over plans and made sure nothing had been forgotten. Their
railroad tickets had been secured by Mr. Titus so there was nothing
more to do save wait for train-time.

"I've never been to Peru," Tom remarked shortly before lunch. "What
sort of country is it?"

"Quite a wonderful country," Mr. Titus answered. "I have been very much
interested in it since my brother and I accepted this tunnel contract.
Peru seems to have taken its name from Peru, a small river on the west
coast of Colombia, where Pizarro landed. The country, geographically,
may be divided into three sections longitudinally. The coast region is
a sandy desert, with here and there rivers flowing through fertile
valleys. The sierra region is the Andes division, about two hundred and
fifty miles in width."

"Is that where we're going?" asked Tom.

"Yes. And beyond the Andes (which in Peru consist of great chains of
mountain