physician.

"I am sorry, Mr. Swift, that I can not hold out much hope that your man
will ever regain his sight," was the answer.

Tom could not repress a gasp of pity.

"I do not say that the case is altogether hopeless," the doctor went
on; "but it would be wrong to encourage you to hope for much. I may be
able to save partly the sight of one eye."

"Poor Rad!" murmured Tom. "This will break his heart."

"There is no need for telling him at once," Dr. Henderson said. "It
will only make his recovery so much the slower. It will be weeks before
I am able to operate, and, meanwhile, he should be kept as comfortable
and cheerful as possible."

"We'll see to that," declared Tom. "Is he otherwise injured?"

"No, it is merely his eyesight that we have to fear for. And, as I
said, that is not altogether hopeless, though it would not be honest to
let you look for much success. I shall see him from time to time until
his eyes are ready to operate on."

Tom and his friends were forced to take such comfort as they could from
this verdict, but no hint of their downcast feelings were made manifest
to Eradicate.

"Whut de doctor man done say, Massa Tom?" asked Eradicate when the
young inventor went back into the sick room.

"Oh, he talked a lot of big Latin words, Rad--bigger words than you
used to use on your mule Boomerang," and Tom forced a laugh. "All he
meant was that you'd have to stay in bed a while and let Koku wait on
you."

"Huh! Am dat--dat big--dat big nice man heah now?" asked Rad, feeling
around with his bandaged hand; and a smile showed beneath the cloth
over his eyes.

"I here right upsidedown by you, Rad," said Koku, and his big hand
clasped the smaller one of the black man.

"Koku--yo'--yo' am mighty good to me," murmured Eradicate. "I reckon I
been cross to yo' sometimes, but I didn't mean nuffin' by it!"

"Huh! me an' you good friends now," said the giant. "Anybody what hurt
my Rad, I--I--bust 'im! Dat I do!" cried the big fellow.

"Come on," whispered Tom to Ned. "They'll get along all right together
now."

But Eradicate caught the sound of his young employer's footsteps and
called:

"Yo' goin', Massa Tom?"

"Yes, Rad. Is there anything you want?"

"No, Massa Tom. I jest wanted to ast if yo' done 'membered de time mah
mule Boomerang got stuck in de road, an' yo' couldn't git past in yo'
auto? Does yo' 'member dat?"

"Indeed I do!" laughed Tom, and Eradicate also chuckled at the
recol