e wuk, me an' mah mule Boomerang, an' we takes
all de cold victuals, too! Git right along, now!"

"It's Eradicate. He doesn't know you," said Tom, with a chuckle.

"So much the better," whispered Mr. Damon. But the disguise proved
almost too much of a success, for seeing the supposed tramp lingering
near the house, Eradicate caught up a stout stick and rushed forward.
He was about to strike the ragged man, when Tom called out:

"That's Mr. Damon, Rad!"

"Wh--what!" gasped the colored man; and when the situation had been
explained to him, and the necessity for silence impressed upon him, he
turned away, too surprised to utter a word. He sought consolation in
the stable with his mule.

Just what methods Mr. Damon used he never disclosed, but one thing is
certain: That night there came a cautious knock on the door of the
Swift home, and Tom, answering it, beheld his odd friend.

"Well," he asked eagerly, "what luck?"

"Put on a suit of old clothes, and come with me," said Mr. Damon.
"We'll look like two tramps, and then, if we're discovered, they won't
know it was you."

"Have you found out anything?" asked Tom eagerly.

"Not yet; but I've got a key to one of the side doors of the shed, and
we can get in as soon as it's late enough so that everybody there will
be in bed."

"A key? How did you get it?" inquired the youth.

"Never mind," was the answer, with a chuckle. "That was because of my
disguise; and I haven't blessed anything to-day. I'm going to, soon,
though. I can feel it coming on. But hurry, Tom, or we may be too late."

"And you haven't had a look inside the shed?" asked the young inventor.
"You don't know what's there?"

"No; but we soon will."

Eagerly Tom put on some of the oldest and most ragged garments he could
find, and then he and the odd gentleman set off toward the Foger home.
They waited some time after getting in sight of it, because they saw a
light in one of the windows. Then, when the house was dark, they stole
cautiously forward toward the big, gloomy shed.

"On this side," directed Mr. Damon in a whisper. "The key I have opens
this door."

"But we can't see when we get inside," objected Tom. "I should have
brought a dark lantern."

"I have one of those pocket electric flashlights," said Mr. Damon.
"Bless my candlestick! but I thought of that." And he chuckled
gleefully.

Cautiously they advanced in the darkness. Mr. Damon fumbled at the lock
of the door. The key grated as