APTER III

THINKING IT OVER

"Father, is that you?" asked Tom. "Father hasn't been feeling well, of
late," he said to the assembled company, "and I told him to go to lie
down. But he's hard to manage, and he won't rest more than ten minutes
at a time. My father, I might explain, Mr. Hardley," Tom went on, "is
actively associated with me in business."

"So I have understood," said the man who had been introduced by Mr.
Damon.

"Dis Koku!" came the guttural voice of the giant from the other side of
the door. "Koku want more work. Hall, him all clean. Maybe I help dat
no-good Rad now."

"No you don't, Koku!" exclaimed the young inventor, with a laugh. "You
keep away from Rad. You'll get to disputing again and interrupt me, and
I have business on hand. Here, wait a minute. I'll find something for
you to do," he went on, opening the door to disclose the immense man
standing outside, a broom in his hand seeming like a toy.

"Excuse me one moment," went on Tom to his friends. Taking up his desk
telephone he called one of the shops, asking: "Have you any heavy work
on hand this morning; lifting big castings, or anything like that? You
have? Good! I'll send Koku right over."

Turning to the giant who apparently had not paid much attention to the
talk over the wire, Tom said:

"Koku, go over to shop number ten, ask for the foreman, and he'll keep
you busy. There are some five-hundred-pound castings that need
assembling, and you can help him."

"Good!" exclaimed the giant, with a cheerful grin. "Koku like big
work--no like sweep. Good for women and Rad, but not for Koku!"

"He spoke the truth there," remarked Ned Newton, as the giant stalked
down the hall. "I never saw such a strong man. I'm afraid to shake
hands with him, for fear I'll be minus a couple of fingers in the
operation."

"Well, he's disposed of," remarked Tom, as he closed the door. "And
now, Mr. Hardley, I'm at your service, as far as listening to your
proposition is concerned."

"Thank you. I shall endeavor to be brief," remarked the visitor. "Am I
correct in assuming that you have had some experience in submarine
work? I believe Mr. Damon mentioned something of that sort."

"Submarine work? Bless my hydrometer, I should say so!" exclaimed the
eccentric man. "And not only in submarine, but in aeroplane! but you
don't need any aeroplanes, my dear Mr. Hardley. It's the submarine end
of it that you are interested in, as far as Tom Swift is concer