had disappeared from Shopton and
the vicinity. Nevertheless, the inventor did not for a moment overlook
the possibility that the enemy might again strike.

Every night the electric current was turned into the wires that capped
the stockade of the Swift Construction Company enclosure. Koku beat a
path around the enclosure at night, getting such short sleep as he
seemed to need in the forenoon.

"Dat crazy cannibal," grumbled Rad, "got it in his haid dat he's gwine
to he'p Massa Tom by walkin' out o' nights like he was dis here
Western, de great sprinter, Ma lawsy me! Koku ain't got brains enough
to fill up a hic'ry nut shell. Dat he ain't."

Nothing anybody else could do for Tom ever satisfied Rad. The colored
man fully believed that he was the only person really necessary for
Tom's success and peace of mind. In fact, Rad thought that even Ned
Newton's duties as financial manager of the firm were scarcely of as
much importance.

When he heard that Tom was going West, after a time, with the electric
locomotive, to try it out on the tracks of the H. & P. A., Rad was
quite sure that if he did not go along, the test would not come out
right.

"O' course yo'll need me, Massa Tom," he said, confidently. "Couldn't
git along widout me nohow. Yo' knows, sir, I allus has to go 'long wid
yo' to fix things."

"Don't you think father will need you here, Rad?" Tom asked the
faithful old fellow. "You're getting old--"

"Me gittin' old?" cried, the colored man. "Huh! Yo' don't know 'bout
dis here chile. I don't purpose ever to git old. I been gray-haided
since befo' yo' was born; but I ain't old yit!"

Mr. Damon chanced to be present at this conversation, and he was highly
amused, yet somewhat impressed, too, by the colored man's statement.

"Bless my own antiquity!" he exclaimed. "I agree with Rad, Tom. It's
us old fellows who know what to do when an emergency of any kind
arises. Experience teaches more than inspiration."

"Oh," said Tom, laughing, "I do not deny the value of old friends at
any stage of the game."

"Bless my roving nature! I am glad to hear you say that. For I tell you
right now, Tom, I want to be out there when you make your final test of
the locomotive."

"Do you mean that you will go West when I take out the Hercules
Three-Oughts-One?" cried Tom.

"It's just what I want to do. Bless my traveling bag, Tom! I mean to be
present at your final triumph."

"What will happen to your buff Orpingtons wh