ock?" the giant asked cheerfully.

"Hear you, Koku? Say, I couldn't hear anything else!" exclaimed Tom.
"Did you think you had to arouse the whole neighborhood just to let me
know you were at the door? Jove! I thought you'd have it off the
hinges."

"If me break, me fix," said Koku, who, from his appearance and from his
imperfect command of English, was evidently a foreigner.

"Yes, I know you can fix lots of things, Koku," Tom went on, kindly
enough. "But you musn't forget what enormous strength you have. That's
the reason I sent you to take the engine out of the airship. You can
lift it without using the chain hoist, and I can't get the chain hoist
fast unless I remove all the superstructure. I don't want to do that.
Did you get the engine out?"

"Not quite. Almost, Master."

"Then why are you here? Has anything gone wrong?"

"No, everything all right, Master. But man come to machine shop and
say he must have talk with you. I no let him come past the gate, but I
say I come and call you."

"That's right, Koku. Don't let any strangers past the gate. But why
didn't Eradicate come and call me. He isn't doing anything, is he?
Unless, indeed, he has gone to feed his mule, Boomerang."

"Eradicate, he come to call you, but that black man no good!" and Koku
chuckled so heartily that he shook the floor of the office.

"What's the matter with Eradicate?" asked Tom, somewhat anxiously. "I
hope you and he haven't had another row?" Eradicate had served Tom and
his father long before Koku, the giant, had been brought back from one
of the young inventor's many strange trips, and ever since then there
had been a jealous rivalry between the twain as to who should best
serve Tom.

"No trouble, Master," said Koku. "Eradicate he start to come and tell
you strange man want to have talk, but Eradicate he no come fast
enough. So I pick him up, and I set him down by gate to stand on guard,
and I come to tell you. Koku come quick!"

"Oh, I knew it must be something like that!" exclaimed Tom in some
vexation. "Now I'll have Eradicate complaining to me that you mauled
him. Picked him up and set him down again."

"Sure. One hand!" boasted the giant. "Eradicate him not be heavy. More
as a sack of flour now."

"No, poor Eradicate is getting pretty old and thin," commented Tom. "He
can't move very quickly. But you should have let him come, Koku. It
makes him feel badly when he thinks he can't be of service to me any
more."

"Man