s foot on the accelerator, Tom sent the machine along at
a pace that soon brought him within sight of his home.

"Is father all right?" he asked Mrs. Baggert, who was out on the front
porch, as though waiting for him.

"Oh, yes, Tom, he's all right," the housekeeper answered.

"Is Mr. Damon with him?"

"No."

"He hasn't gone home, has he?"

"No, he's around somewhere. But some one else is with your father. Some
visitors."

"Any relations?"

"No; strangers. They came to see you, and they're rather impatient. I
came out to see if you were in sight. Your father sent me."

"Are they bothering him--talking business that I ought to attend to
when he's ill? That mustn't be."

"Well, I suppose it is business that the strangers are talking over
with your father, Tom," said Mrs. Baggert, "for I heard sums of money
spoken of. But your father seems to be all right, only a trifle anxious
that you should come."

"Well, I'm here now and I'll attend to things. Where are the strangers,
and who are they?"

"I don't know," answered the housekeeper. "I never saw them before, but
they're in the library with your father. Do you think they'll stay to
dinner? If you do, I'll have Eradicate or Koku catch and kill a
chicken."

"If you let one do it don't tell the other about it," said Tom with a
laugh, "or you'll have a chicken race around the yard that will make
the visitors sit up and take notice."

There was great rivalry between Eradicate Sampson, the aged colored
man, and Koku, the giant, and they were continually disputing. Each one
loved and served Tom in his own way, and there was jealousy between
them. Koku, the giant Tom had brought with him from the land where the
young inventor had been made captive, was a big, powerful man, and
could do things the aged colored servant could not attempt. But "Rad,"
as he was often called, and his mule "Boomerang" had long been fixtures
on the Swift homestead. But old age crept on apace with Eradicate,
though he hated to admit it, and Koku did many things the colored man
had formerly attended to, and Rad was always on the lookout not to be
supplanted. Hence Tom's warning to Mrs. Baggert about letting the two
be entrusted with the same mission of catching a chicken for the pot.

"Better get the fowl yourself and say nothing to either of them about
it," Tom advised the housekeeper. "Mr. Damon will stay to dinner, as he
always does when he comes, and as it's near twelve now, and as I