"Oh, Massa Tom!" exclaimed Eradicate, as soon as the young
inventor entered. "Dat Koku he--he--he done gone and cotch
me by de collar ob mah coat, an' den he lif' me up, an' he
sot me down so hard--so hard--dat he jar loose all mah back
teef!" and Eradicate opened his mouth wide to display his
gleaming ivories.

"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