d like to know?" exclaimed Tom. "He's
paid for it."

"'Scuse me, Massa Tom," said the colored man, "but dat express gen'men
can't bring dem explosive powder boxes in heah, 'case as how his
autermobile hab done ketched fire an' he cain't get near it nohow.
Dat's why, Massa Tom!"

"Caesar's ghost!" yelled the young inventor. "The auto on fire, and
that powder in it! Come on Ned!" and he made a rush for the door.

CHAPTER IV

KOKU'S BRAVE ACT

"Tom! Tom!" cried Ned, as he watched the disappearing figure of his
chum. "Come back here! If there's going to be an explosion we ought to
run out of the back door!"

"I'm not running away!" flashed back Tom. "I'm going to get that powder
out of the auto before it goes up! If it does we'll be blown to kingdom
come, back door or front door! Come on!"

"Bacon and eggs!" yelled Ned. "He's running an awful risk! But I can't
let him go alone! I guess we're in for it!"

Then he, too, rushed from the office toward the front of the shop,
before which, in a sort of private road, stood the blazing auto. And
Ned, who had now lost sight of Tom, because of our hero having turned a
corner in the corridor, heard excited shouts coming from the seat of
trouble.

"If that's some new kind of powder Tom's sent for, to test for his new
big gun, and it goes up," Ned said to himself, as he rushed on, "this
place will be blown to smithereens. All Tom's valuable machinery and
patents will be ruined!"

Ned had now reached the front door of the shop. He had a glimpse of the
burning auto--a small express truck, well loaded with various packages.
And, through the smoke, which from the odor must have been caused by
burning gasoline, Ned could see several boxes marked in red letters:

DANGEROUS EXPLOSIVE

KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE

"Keep away from fire!" murmured the panting lad. "If they can get any
nearer fire I don't see how."

"Oh, mah golly!" gasped Eradicate, who had lumbered on behind Ned. "Oh,
mah golly! Oh, good land ob massy! Look at Massa Tom!"

"I've got to help him!" cried Ned, for he saw that his chum had rushed
to the rear of the auto, and was endeavoring to drag one of the powder
boxes across the lowered tail-board. Tom was straining and tugging at
it, but did not seem able to move the case. It was heavy, as Ned
learned later, and was also held down by the weight of other express
packages on top of it.

"Oh, mah golly!" cried Eradicate. "Git some watah