u kill!"

"Bless my magnifying glass!" ejaculated Mr. Damon. "That fellow is the
most bloodthirsty individual that I ever saw."

"All in his bringing up," chuckled Tom who knew, as the saying is, that
Koku's bark was a deal worse than his bite. "Killing and maiming his
enemies used to be Koku's principal job. But he has his orders now. He
doesn't kill anybody without consulting me first."

"Bless my buttons!" murmured Mr. Damon. "That is certainly a good thing
too. What's the matter with him now?"

That is exactly what Tom himself wanted to know. He had dropped a hand
upon the arm of the giant as he stood beside the car.

"Who is the enemy, Koku?" he asked.

"Not know, Master. See him footmarks. Follow him footmarks. Not find.
When do find--kill!"

"That is, after first obtaining my permission," said Tom dryly.

"It is so," agreed the imperturbable Koku. "See! Show Master footmarks.
Him look in at window. See! Koku have got the wonder lamp."

He flashed the electric torch in his hand. He left the car and strode
into the yard. Tom followed him, and Mr. Damon's curiosity brought him
along.

The giant pointed the ray of the flashlight at the ground below the
porch. Several footprints--the marks of boots at least number twelve in
size--were imbedded in the soil. Koku went around the house to the
other side, following repeated marks of the same boots.

"How came you to find them, Koku?" asked Tom softly.

"Me look. All around stockade," and he waved a generous gesture with
his free hand including the fence about the works. "Enemy may come.
Anytime he come. Now he come."

"Bless my slippery shoes!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, who had hard work to
keep up both physically and mentally with the giant. "What does he
mean?"

"Koku has always had it in his head," explained Tom, "that we built
that fence about the works to keep out enemies. And, to tell the truth,
we did! But all that is over--"

"Is it?" asked Mr. Damon pointedly. "Enemy here," added Koku, flashing
the lamplight upon the footprints on the ground.

"Those bootmarks," added Mr. Damon, "are doubtless those of that fellow
who jumped upon the running board of the car."

"Humph! And who robbed me of my wallet," added Tom musingly. "Well, it
might be. And, if so, Koku is right. The enemy has come."

"Me kill!" exclaimed the giant, stretching himself to his full height.

"We'll consider the killing later," said Tom, who well knew his
influence with this