dump them in a certain swampy lot.
With an old ramshackle cart, and his mule, Boomerang, Eradicate did
this task to perfection.

"A man--what sort of a man?" asked Tom, always ready to be suspicious
of anything unusual.

"He were a queer man," went on the aged colored helper. "First he
stopped me an' asted me fo' a ride. He was a dressed-up gen'man, too,
an' I were suah s'prised at him wantin' t' set in mah ole ash cart,"
said Eradicate. "But I done was polite t' him, an' fixed a blanket so's
he wouldn't git too dirty. Den he asted me ef I didn't wuk fo' yo',
Massa Tom, an' of course I says as how I did. Den he asted me about de
fire, an' how much damage it done, an' how we put it out. An' he end up
by sayin' he'd laik t' buy mah mule, Boomerang, an' he wants t' come
heah dis arternoon an' talk t' me about it."

"He does, eh?" cried Tom. "What sort of a man was he, Rad?"

"Well, a gen'man sort ob man, Massa Tom. Stranger t' me. I nebber seed
him afo'. He suah was monstrous polite t' ole black Eradicate, an' he
gib me a half-dollar, too, jest fo' a little ride. But I aint' gwine t'
sell Boomerang, no indeedy, I ain't!" and Eradicate shook his gray,
kinky head decidedly.

"Ned, there may be something in this!" said Tom, in an excited whisper
to his chum. "I don't like the idea of a mysterious stranger
questioning Eradicate!"

CHAPTER VI

THE AERIAL WARSHIP

Ned Newton looked at Tom questioningly. Then he glanced at the
unsuspicious colored man, who was industriously polishing the
half-dollar the mysterious stranger had given him.

"Rad, just exactly what sort of a man was this one you speak of?" asked
Tom.

"Why, he were a gen'man--"

"Yes, I know that much. You've said it before. But was he an
Englishman, an American--or--"

Tom paused and waited for an answer.

"I think he were a Frenchman," spoke Eradicate. "I done didn't see him
eat no frogs' laigs, but he smoked a cigarette dat had a funny smell,
and he suah was monstrous polite. He suah was a Frenchman. I think."

Tom and Ned laughed at Eradicate's description of the man, but Tom's
face was soon grave again.

"Tell us more about him, Rad," he suggested. "Did he seem especially
interested in the fire?"

"No, sah, Massa Tom, he seemed laik he was more special interested in
mah mule, Boomerang. He done asted how long I had him, an' how much I
wanted fo' him, an' how old he was."

"But every once in a while he put in some question about t