" and Koku, have been mentioned. Rad was an ancient
colored man who once owned a mule named Boomerang. Sampson was the
colored servant's last name, and he declared he had chosen the one
"Eradicate" because in his younger days he was a great cleaner and
whitewasher, "eradicating" the dirt, so to speak.

Boomerang had, some time since, gone where all good mules go, though
Eradicate declared he would get another and call him Boomerang II. But,
so far, he had not done so.

Rad, though too old to do heavy work, still believed he was
indispensable to the welfare of Tom and his father; and as the giant
Koku, who was physically an immense man, held the same view, it
followed there were frequent clashes between the two, as on the
occasion just mentioned.

"What was the matter, Tom?" asked Ned, when the young inventor came
back into the room.

"Oh, the same old story," replied Tom. "Rad wanted to sweep the hall,
and Koku insisted he was to do it."

"What'd you do, Tom?" asked Mr. Damon.

"I settled it by having Rad sweep this hall and sending Koku to do
another--a bigger one I told him. He likes hard work, so he was
pleased. Now we'll have it quiet for a little while. Did I understand
you to say, Mr. Damon, that--er--Mr. Hardley I believe the name is--had
a proposition to make to me?"

"That's exactly it, my dear Mr. Swift!" broke in the man in question.
"I have a wonderful offer to make you, and I'm sure you will admit that
it will be well worth your while to consider and accept it. There will
be at least a million in it--"

"Bless my check book, I thought you said several millions!" exclaimed
Mr. Damon.

"So I did," was the rather nettled answer. "I was about to say, Mr.
Damon, that there will be at least a million in it for Mr. Swift, and
another million for myself. There may be more, but I want to be
conservative."

"Talking in millions, and calling himself conservative," mused Ned
Newton. "Somehow or other I don't just cotton to this fellow!"

"When our mutual friend, Mr. Damon, told me about you, my dear Mr.
Swift," went on Mr. Hardley, "I at once came to the conclusion that you
were the very man I wanted to do business with. I'm sure it will be to
our mutual advantage."

Tom Swift said nothing. He was willing to let the other talk, while he
waited to see how far he would go. And, as Tom said afterward, he, as
had Ned, took an instinctive dislike to Mr. Hardley. He could not say
definitely what it was, but