shoulder! You're crushing me with those big fingers of yours!"

This was evidently the visitor remonstrating with the giant.

"Humph! I guess Koku must have grabbed him," said Tom softly.
"I don't like that sort of a visitor. What's his hurry getting in
here?" and our hero looked about, to see if he had a weapon at
hand in case of an attack. Often cranks had forced their way into
his shop, with pet inventions which they wanted him to perfect
after they had themselves failed. Tom saw a heavy iron bar at
hand, and knew this would serve to protect him.

"You come after me!" exclaimed Koku, when the voice of the
other had ceased. "Do you stand under me?"

"Oh, yes, I understand all right. I'll keep back. But I didn't
mean anything. I'm just in a hurry to see Tom Swift, that is all.
I'm always in a hurry in fact. I've lost nearly a thousand
dollars this morning, just by this delay. I want to see Mr. Swift
at once; and have a talk with him."

"Another crank, I guess," mused Tom. "Well, I'm not going to
waste much time on him."

A moment later the door opened, and into the shop stepped Koku,
followed by a short, stout, fussy little man, wearing a flaming
red tie, but otherwise his clothes were not remarkable.

"Is this Mr. Tom Swift?" asked the stranger, as he advanced and
held out his hand to the young man.