Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders by Victor Appleton

Tom has had enough of adventure and swears he is going to stay home and live the life of a sedate scientist, working on his many patent applications. He spots a magazine article written by Professor Bumper describing a fabulous underground city containing a large gold idol. Tom's attitude is "Hrumpf! Gold. Underground city. Savages. Lions. Tigers. Bears. Been there, done that." Next thing we know, Professor Bumper and Mr. Damon show up. It takes about 4 pages to turn Tom around, but not for the usual reasons (i.e. wealth, fame, glory and excitement.) It seems a young, handsome, rival archeologist--one Professor Fenimore Beecher--is also interested in said idol. His plan is to give a part of it to Mary Nestor, Tom's sweetie. This is as an enticement to upgrade her betrothal to a real professional--none of this common inventor stuff. Jealousy rears its' green-eyed head, and we are shortly thereafter off, willy-nilly, to the land of big alligators and bigger mosquitoes.