Page:Tom Swift in the City of Gold.djvu/77



" everything is all ready," remarked Tom.

"I can't think of anything more to do," said Ned.

"Bless my grip-sack!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "if there is, someone else has got to do it. I'm tired to death! I never thought getting ready to go off on a simple little trip was so much work. We ought to have made the whole journey from start to finish in an airship, Tom, as we've done before."

"It was hardly practical," answered the young inventor. "I'm afraid we'll be searching for this underground city for some time, and we'll only need an airship or a dirigible balloon for short trips here and there. We've got to go a good deal by information the natives can furnish us, and we can't get at them very well when sailing in the air."