opped the shovel, and,
heedless of the thick smoke from the burning gasoline, reached over and
took hold of the nearest box. It seemed as though he pulled it from the
auto truck as easily as Tom might have lifted a cork.

Then, carrying the box, which was now burning quite fiercely on one
corner, over toward Tom and Ned, who had moved back, the giant asked:

"What you want of him, Master?"

"Put it down, Koku, and get out all the others! Lively, now, Koku!"

"I do," was the simple answer. The giant put the box on the grass and
ran back toward the auto.

"Quick, Ned!" shouted Tom. "Throw some sand on this burning box! That
will put out the fire!"

A few handfuls of earth served to extinguish the little blaze, and by
this time Koku had come back with another box of powder.

"Get 'em all, Koku, get 'em all! Then we can put out the fire on the
auto."

For the giant it was but child's play to carry the heavy boxes of
powder, and soon he had them all removed from the truck. Then, with the
danger thus narrowly averted, they all, including the expressman,
turned in and began throwing sand on the fire, which now had a good
hold on the body of the auto. The shovel, which Eradicate had sent by
Koku, who could use more speed than could the aged colored man, came in
handy.

Soon the fire was out, though not before the truck had been badly
damaged, and some of its load destroyed. But, beyond a charring of some
of the powder boxes, the explosive was intact.

"Whew! That was a lucky escape," murmured Tom, as he sat down on one of
the boxes, and wiped the smoke and sweat from his face. "A little
later and there'd only been a hole in the ground to tell what happened.
Hot work; eh, Ned?"

"I guess yes, Tom."

"I thought of the powder as soon as I saw that the truck was on fire,"
explained the expressman; "but I didn't know what to do. I was kinder
flustered, I guess. This is the second time this old truck has caught
fire from a leaky gasoline pipe. I guess that will be the last--it will
for me, anyhow. I'll resign if they don't give me another machine. Will
you sign for your stuff?" he asked Tom, holding out the receipt book,
which had escaped the flames.

"Yes, and I'm mighty glad I'm here to sign for it," replied the young
inventor. "Now, Koku, I guess you can take that stuff up to the shop;
but be careful where you put it."

"I do, Master," replied the giant.

"What sort of powder is that, Tom?" asked Ned a little