but to Tom, his father, and those who knew about his shops, it
meant much.

"The red shed!" Tom cried. "We mustn't let that get the best of us!
Everybody at work! Father, not you, though. You mustn't excite
yourself!"

Even in the midst of the alarm Tom thought of his father, for the aged
man had a weak heart, and had on one occasion nearly expired, being
saved just in time by the arrival of a doctor, whom Tom brought to the
scene after a wonderful race through the air.

"But, Tom, I can help," objected the aged inventor.

"Now, you just take care of yourself, Father!" Tom cried. "There are
enough of us to look after this fire, I think."

"But, Tom, it--it's the red shed!" gasped Mr. Swift.

"I realize that, Dad. But it can't have much of a start yet. Is the
alarm ringing, Koku?"

"Yes, Master," replied the giant, in correct but stilted English. "I
have set the indicator to signal the alarm in every shop on the
premises."

"That's right." Tom sprang toward the door. "Eradicate!" he called.

"Yais, sah! Heah I is!" answered the colored man. "I'll go git mah
mule, Boomerang, right away, an' he--"

"Don't you bring Boomerang on the scene!" Tom yelled. "When I want that
shed kicked apart I can do it better than by using a mule's heels. And
you know you can't do a thing with Boomerang when he sees fire."

"Now dat's so, Massa Tom. But I could put blinkers on him, an'--"

"No, you let Boomerang stay where he is. Come on, Ned. We'll see what
we can do. Mr. Damon--"

"Yes, Tom, I'm right here," answered the peculiar man, for he had come
over from his home in Waterford to pay a visit to his friends, Tom and
Mr. Swift. "I'll do anything I can to help you, Tom, bless my necktie!"
he went on. "Only say the word!"

"We've got to get some of the stuff out of the place!" Tom cried. "We
may be able to save it, but I can't take a chance on putting out the
fire and letting some of the things in there go up in smoke. Come on!"

Those in the shed where was housed what Tom hoped would prove to be a
successful aerial warship rushed to the open. From the other shops and
buildings nearby were pouring men and boys, for the Swift plant
employed a number of hands now.

Above the shouts and yells, above the crackle of flames, could be heard
the clanging of the alarm bell, set ringing by Koku, who had pulled the
signal in the airship shed. From there it had gone to every building in
the plant, being relayed by the telephone ope