"Eradicate, he no can come quick. He walk like so
fashion!" and Koku, who had followed the young inventor,
imitated the limping gait of the colored man with such a
queer effect that Tom could not help laughing, and the
stranger smiled.
"Ef I gits holt on yo'--ef I does, yo' great, big,
overgrown lummox, Ah'll--Ah'll--" began the colored man,
stammeringly.
"There. That will do now!" interrupted Tom. "Don't quarrel
in here. Koku, get back to that engine and lift out the
motor. Eradicate, didn't father tell you to whitewash the
chicken coops to-day?"
"Dat's what he done, Massa Tom."
"Well, go and see about that. I'll stay here for a while,
and when I leave I'll call one of you, or some one else, to
be on guard. Skip now!"
Having thus disposed of the warring factions, Tom turned
to the stranger and after apologizing for the little
interruption, asked:
"You wished to see me?"
"If you're Tom Swift; yes."
"Well, I'm Tom Swift," and the young owner of the name
smiled.
"I hope you will pardon a stranger for calling on you,"
resumed the man, "but I'm in a lot of trouble, and I think
you are the only one who can help me out."
"What sort of trouble?" Tom inquired.
"Contracting trouble--tunnel blasting, to be exact. But if
you have a few minutes to spare perhaps you will listen to
my story. You will then be better able to understand my
difficulty.
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