e tall
grass. The striped animal had been stalking the antelope, but they had
scented him just in time.

"Get him, Tom," urged Ned, and the young inventor did so, securing
several fine views before the tiger bounded into the grass again, and
took after his prey.

"Bless my china teacup! What's that!" suddenly cried Mr. Damon. As he
spoke there was a crashing in the bushes and, an instant later as
two-horned rhinoceros sprang into view, charging straight for the group.

"Look out!" yelled Ned.

"Bless my--" began Mr. Damon, but he did not finish, for, in starting
to run his foot caught in the grass, and he went down heavily.

Tom leaped to one side, holding his camera so as not to damage it. But
he stumbled over Mr. Damon, and went down.

With a "wuff" of rage the clumsy beast, came on, moving more rapidly
than Tom had any idea he was capable of. Hampered by his camera our
hero could not arise. The rhinoceros was almost upon him, and Ned,
catching up a club, was just going to make a rush to the rescue, when
the brute seemed suddenly to crumple up. It fell down in a heap, not
five feet from where Tom and Mr. Damon lay.

"Good!" cried Ned. "He's dead. Shot through the heart! Who did it?"

"I did," answered Koku quietly, stepping out of the bushes, with one of
Tom's Swift's electric rifles in his hand.

CHAPTER XIV

IN A GREAT GALE

Tom Swift rose slowly to his feet, carefully setting his camera down,
after making sure that it was not injured. Then he looked at the huge
beast which lay dead in front of him, and, going over to the giant he
held out his hand to him.

"Koku, you saved my life," spoke Tom. "Probably the life of Mr. Damon
also. I can't begin to thank you. It isn't the first time you've done
it, either. But I want to say that you can have anything you want, that
I've got."

"Me like this gun pretty much," said the giant simply.

"Then it's yours!" exclaimed Tom. "And you're the only one, except
myself, who has ever owned one." Tom's wonderful electric rifle, of
which I have told you in the book bearing that name, was one of his
most cherished inventions.

He guarded jealously the secret of how it worked, and never sold or
gave one away, for fear that unscrupulous men might learn how to make
them, and to cause fearful havoc. For the rifle was a terrible weapon.
Koku seemed to appreciate the honor done him, as he handled the gun,
and looked from it to the dead rhinoceros.

"Bless my b