e than he would have had
to encounter in the official test reached the Denton fire department.
As a result there was a conference, and, after only a nominal showing
of his apparatus, it was adopted by a unanimous vote.

But this occurred some time afterward, for, following his rescue of
Mary Nestor and her uncle and the saving of the lives of Field and
Melling, as well as others in the building, by his prompt smothering of
the fire, Tom returned to Shopton.

He and his companions went in the Lucifer, minus, now, the big load of
chemicals, and on landing near the hangar Tom was surprised to see Koku
the giant running toward him. The big man showed every symptom of great
excitement as he cried:

"Oh, Master Tom! He see the light ob day! he see the light ob day now!
Oh, so glad! So glad!"

"Who sees the light of day?" asked the young inventor.

"Black Rad! Eradicate! Him eyes all better now! Pill man take off
cloth. Rad--he see light ob day!"

"Oh, I'm so glad! So thankful!" cried Tom. "How I've wished for this!
Is it really true, Koku?"

"Sure true! Pill man say Rad see K O now." The giant, doubtless, meant
"O K," but Tom understood. And it was true, as he learned more directly
a little later.

When Tom entered the room where Rad had been kept in the dark ever
since the explosion, the colored man looked at his master with seeing
eyes, though the apartment was still but dimly lighted.

"I's all right ag'in now, Massa Tom!" cried Rad. "See fine! I's all
ready to make more smellin' stuff to put out fires!"

"You won't have to, Rad!" cried Tom joyfully. "My chemical extinguisher
is completed, and you did your share in making it a success. But I
never would have felt like claiming credit for it if you had been--had
been left in the dark."

"No mo' dark, Massa Tom!" said Eradicate. "I kin see now as good as
eber, an' yo'-all won't hab to 'pend on dat lazy good-fo'-nuffin
cocoanut!" and he chuckled as he looked at the giant.

"Huh! Lazy!" retorted the big man. "I show you--black coon!"

"By golly!" laughed Rad. "Him an' me good friends now, Massa Tom. Neber
I fuss wif Koku any mo'! He suah was good to me when I had to stay in
de dark!"

Of course it would be too much to hope that Koku and Eradicate never
again quarreled, but for a long time their warm friendship was a thing
at which to marvel, considering the past.

"Well, I guess this settles it," said Tom to Ned one day, after going
over the day's mail.