Page:Tom Swift in the City of Gold.djvu/80

68 "Real gold—yellow, gold images as big as a man," said Eradicate in a dreamy voice. "An'—an' some big as boys. By golly, Massa Tom, am yo' suah ob dat?"

"Pretty sure. Why, Rad?"

"Cause I's gwine wid yo', dat's why! I didn't know yo' all was goin' after gold. By golly I's gwine along! Look out ob mah way, ef yo' please, Mr. Damon. I'se gwine t' pack up an' go. Am it too late t' git me a ticket, Massa Tom?"

"No, I guess there's room on the ship. But say, Rad, I don't want you to talk about this gold image part of it. You can say we're going to look for an underground city, but no more, mind you!"

"Trust me, Massa Tom; trust me. I—I'll jest say brass images, dat's what I'll say—brass! We's gwine after brass, an' not gold. By golly, I'll fool 'em!"

"No, don't say anything about the images—brass or gold," cautioned Tom. "But, Rad, there's another thing. We may run across the head hunters down there in Mexico."

"Head hunters? What's dem?"

"They catch you, and chop off your head for an ornament."

"Ha! Ha! Den I ain't in no danger, Massa Tom. Nobody would want de head ob an old colored man fo' an ornament. By golly! I's