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some sort of gift。〃
〃Oh； how sweet of him！〃 Mary exclaimed。 〃Where is it？〃
〃On the dining room table。 Eradicate brought it with a note。〃
Mary read the note first。
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In it Tom begged Mary to accept the little token； and to think of him
when she used it。
〃Oh！ I wonder what it can be；〃 she cried in delight。
〃Better open it and see；〃 advised Mr。 Nestor； who had come in at that
moment。
Mary cut the string of the outside paper； and folded back the wrapper。
A wooden box was exposed to view； a solid； oblong； wooden box； and on
the top； in bold； red letters Mary； her father and her mother read：
DYNAMITE！ HANDLE WITH CARE！
〃Oh！ Oh！〃 murmured Mrs。 Nestor。
〃Dynamite！ Handle with care！〃 repeated Mr。 Nestor； in a sort of dazed
voice。 〃Quick！ Get a pail of water！ Dump it in the bathtub！ Soak it good；
and then telephone for the police。 Dynamite！ What does this mean？〃
He rushed toward the kitchen； evidently with the intention of getting a
pail of water； but Mary clasped him by the arm。
〃Father！〃 she exclaimed。 〃Don't get so excited！〃
〃Excited！〃 he cried。 〃Who's excited？ Dynamite！ We'll all be blown up！
This is some plot！ I don't believe Tom sent this at all！ Look out！ Call the
police！ Excited！ Who's getting excited？〃
〃You are； Daddy dear！〃 said Mary calmly。 〃This is some mistake。 Tom
did send thisI know his writing。 And wasn't it Eradicate who brought this
package； Mother？〃
〃Yes； my dear。 But your father is right。 Let him put it in water； then it
will be safe。 Oh； we'll all be blown up。 Get the water！〃
〃No！〃 cried Mary。 〃There is some mistake。 Tom wouldn't send me
dynamite； There must be a present for me in there。 Tom must have put it in
the wrong box by mistake。 I'm going to open it。〃
Mary's calmness had its effect on her parents。 Mr。 Nestor cooled down；
as did his wife； and a closer examination of the outer box did not seem to
show that it was an infernal machine of any kind。
〃It's all a mistake； Daddy；〃 Mary said。 〃I'll show you。 Get me a screw
driver。〃
After some delay one was found； and Mr。 Nestor himself opened the
box。 When the tissue paper wrappings of the mahogany gift were revealed
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he gave a sigh of relief； and when Mary undid the wrappings； and saw
what Tom had sent her； she cried：
〃Oh； how perfectly dear！ Just what I wanted！ I wonder how he knew？
Oh； I just love it！〃 and she hugged the beautiful box in her arms。
〃Humph！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Nestor； a slowly gathering light of anger
showing in his eyes。 〃It is a nice present； but that is a very poor sort of
joke to play； in my estimation。〃
〃Joke！ What joke？〃 asked Mary。
〃Putting a present in a box labeled Dynamite； and giving us such a
scare；〃 went on her father。
〃Oh； Father； I'm sure he didn't mean to do it！〃 Mary said； earnestly。
〃Well； maybe he didn't！ He may have thought it a joke； and he may not
have！ But； at any rate； it was a piece of gross carelessness on his part； and
I don't care to consider for a son…in…law a young man as careless as that！〃
〃Oh； Daddy！〃 expostulated Mary。
〃Now； now！ Tut； tut！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Nestor。 〃It isn't your fault； Mary；
but this Tom Swift must be taught a lesson。 He was careless； if nothing
worse； and； for all he knew； there might have been some stray bits of
dynamite in that packing box。 It won't do！ It won't do！ I'll write him a
letter； and give him a piece of my mind！〃
And in spite of all his wife and his daughter could say； Mr。 Nestor did
write Tom a scathing letter。 He accused him of either perpetrating a joke；
or of being careless； or both； and he intimated that the less he saw of Tom
at the Nestor home hereafter the better pleased he would be。
〃There！ I guess that will make him wish he hadn't done it！〃 exclaimed
Mr。 Nestor； as he called a messenger and sent the letter to Tom's house。
Mary and her mother did not know the con tents of the note； but Mary
tried to get Tom on the wire and explain。 However； she was unable to
reach him； as Tom was on the point of leaving。
The messenger； with Mr。 Nestor's letter； arrived just as our hero was
receiving the late afternoon mail from the postman； and just as Tom and
Koku were getting in an automobile to leave for the depot。
〃Good…bye； Dad！〃 Tom called。 〃Good…bye； Mrs。 Baggert！〃 He thrust
Mr。 Nestor's letter； unopened； together with some other mail matter； which
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he took to be merely circulars； into an inner pocket； and jumped into the
car。
Tom and Koku were off on the first stage of their journey。
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CHAPTER VII
Off for Peru
〃Well； Tom Swift； you're on time I see；〃 was Mr。 Job Titus' greeting；
when our hero； and Koku； the giant； alighted from a taxicab in New York；
in front of the hotel the contractor had appointed as a meeting place。
〃Yes； I'm here。〃
〃Did you have a good trip？〃
〃Oh； all right； yes。 Nothing happened to speak of； though we were
delayed by a freight wreck。 Has Mr。 Damon got here yet？〃
〃Not yet； Tom。 But I had a message saying he was on his way。 〃Come
on up to the rooms I have engaged。 Hello； what's all the crowd here for？〃
asked the contractor in some surprise； for a throng had gathered at the
hotel entrance。
〃I expect it's Koku they're staring at；〃 announced Tom； and the giant it
was who had attracted the attention。 He was carrying his own big valise；
and a small steamer trunk belonging to Tom； as easily as though they
weighed nothing； the trunk being under one arm。
〃I guess they don't see men of his size outside of circuses；〃 commented
the contractor。 〃We can pretty nearly； though not quite match him； down in
Peru though； Tom。 Some of the Indians are big fellows。〃
〃We'll get up a wrestling match between one of them and Koku；〃
suggested Tom。 〃Come on！〃 he called to the giant； who was surrounded by
a crowd。
Koku pushed his way through as easily as a bull might make his way
through a throng of puppies about his heels； and a