er boys frequently
came to Tom's house or to the shops, and they took delight in poking
fun at Koku on account of his size, which made him slow in getting
about. The boys delighted to have him chase them, and something like
this had evidently just taken place, accounting for Koku's agitation.

"This is for you, Mr. Baxter, not for me," said Tom, as he read the
name on the envelope.

"For me!" exclaimed the chemist. "Who could be writing to me? It's a
big firm of dye manufacturers," he went on, as he caught a glimpse of
the superscription in the upper left hand corner.

Quickly he read the contents of the epistle, and a moment later he gave
a joyful cry.

"I'm on the trail! On the trail of those scoundrels at last!" exclaimed
Josephus Baxter. "This gives me just the evidence I needed! Now I'll
have them where I want them!"

CHAPTER XX

A HEAVY LOAD

Josephus Baxter was so excited by the receipt of the letter which Koku
delivered to him that for some seconds Tom Swift could get nothing out
of him except the statement:

"I'm on their trail! Now I'm on their trail!"

"What do you mean?" Tom insisted. "Whose trail? What's it all about?"

"It's about Field and Melling! That's who it's about!" exclaimed Mr.
Baxter, with a smothered exclamation. "Look, Tom Swift, this letter is
addressed to me from one of the biggest dye firms in the world--a firm
that is always looking for something new!"

"But if you haven't anything new to give them, of what use is it?" Tom
asked, for he knew that the chemist had said his process, stolen, as he
claimed, by Field and Melling, was his only new project.

"But I will have something new when I get those secret formulae away
from those scoundrels!" declared Mr. Baxter.

"Yes, but how are you going to do it, when you can't even prove that
they have them?" asked Tom.

"Ah, that's the point! Now I think I can prove it," declared Mr.
Baxter. "Look, Tom Swift! This letter is addressed to me in care of
Field and Melling at the office I used to have in their fireworks
factory."

"The office from which you were rescued nearly dead," Tom added.

"Exactly. The place where you saved me from a terrible death. Well, if
you will notice, this letter was written only two days ago. And it is
the first mail I have received as having been forwarded from that
address since the fire. I know other mail must have come for me,
though."

"What became of it?" asked Tom.

"Those scoundrels