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Page 11
"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 may be delayed talking business to these strangers,
you'd better get up a bigger meal than usual."
"I will, Tom," promised Mrs. Baggert. And then the young
inventor, having seen that one of the men took the automobile to
the garage, went into the house.
"Oh, here you are!" was his father's greeting, as he came out
into the hall from the library. "I've been waiting anxiously for
you, my boy. I couldn't think what was keeping you."
"Oh, I had a little trouble with the air machine--nothing
serious."
A moment later Tom was standing before two well-dressed,
prosperous-looking business men, who smiled pleasantly at him.
"Mr. Thomas Swift?" interrogated one, the elder, as he held out
his hand.
"That's my name," answered Tom, pleasantly.
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