dish yeah argument."

"Not unless you want trouble!" cried Morse.

"I doan't mind trouble, not in de leastest," answered Eradicate
cheerfully. "Me an' Boomerang has had lots of trouble. We's used to
it. No, Mistah Man, you'd better let go ob mah friend, Mistah Swift,
if yo' doan't want trouble yo' ownse'f."

"Drive on, and mind your business!" cried Morse, now unreasoningly
angry. "This is my affair," and he gave Tom a shake.

Our hero was not going to submit tamely, however. He had one hand
free, and raised to strike Morse, but the latter, letting go his hold
on the lad's shoulder, grasped with that hand, the fist which the
young inventor had raised. Then, with his other hand, the scoundrel
was about to hit Tom.

"Break away four him, Mistah Swift!" directed the colored man. "Yo'
can fight him, den!"

"I guess he'll have his own troubles doing that," sneered Morse.

"Not ef I help him," answered Eradicate promptly, as he climbed back
off the seat, into the body of his ramshackle vehicle.

"Don't you interfere with me!" stormed the man.

An instant later Tom broke away from his tormentor, and laid his
motor-cycle on the ground, in order to have both hands free for the