there was lifted one of the big projectiles destined to be
hurled from Tom Swift's giant cannon.

"Yes, I think that will do," decided the young inventor, as he watched
Koku. "Now, Mr. Damon, if you will kindly oversee this part of the
work, I'll see if we can't get that motor in better shape. It didn't
work worth a cent this morning."

"Bless my rubber coat, Tom, I'll do all I can to help you!" declared
the odd man.

"Massa Tom! Massa Tom!" called Eradicate.

"Yes, Rad. What is it?"

"Heah am dem chicken sandwiches, an' some hot coffee fo' yo' all. I
done knowed yo' alt wouldn't hab no time t' stop fo' dinnah, so I done
made yo' all up a snack."

"That's mighty good of you, Rad," spoke Tom, with a laugh. "I was
getting pretty hungry; but I didn't want to stop until I had things
moving in better shape. Come on, Ned, let's knock off for a few minutes
and take a bite. You, too, Mr. Damon."

As they sat about the place where the gun was being mounted, munching
sandwiches and drinking the coffee which the aged colored man had so
thoughtfully provided, Eradicate said, with a chuckle:

"By gar! Dey can't git erlong wifout dish yeah coon, arter all! Ha!
ha! Dat cocoanut giant he mighty good when it comes t' fastening big
guns down so dey won't blow away, but when it comes t' eatin' dey has
t' depend on ole Eradicate! Ha! ha! I'se got dat cocoanut giant beat
all right!"

"He sure is jealous of Koku," remarked Ned, as Tom and Mr. Damon smiled
at the colored man.

"He certainly hit me in the right spot," declared Tom, as he reached
for another sandwich.

They had landed from the warship several days before, and from then on
there had been hard work and plenty of it. Tom was here, there and
everywhere, directing matters so that his gun would be favorably placed.

Some preliminary work had been done before they arrived in the way of
preparing a place to mount the gun, and this work was now proceeding.
The officers of the ordnance department were in actual charge, but they
always deferred to Tom, since he had most at stake.

"It will be some days before you can actually fire your gun; will it
not?" asked Ned of his chum, as they finished the lunch, and prepared
to resume work.

"Yes--a week at least, I expect. It is taking longer to set up the
carriage than I thought. But it will be an improvement over the solid
one we formerly used. That was fine, Rad," he concluded as the colored
man went back to the shack of w