t's what I'se
goin' to do. G'lang, now, dat's a good feller. Ho! Ho! I knowed dat'd
fetch yo' all. When yo' all wiggles yo' ears dat-a-way, dat's a suah
sign yo' all is gwine t' move."

Then followed the sound of a rattletrap of a wagon approaching.

"Eradicate! It's Eradicate!" exclaimed Tom.

"And his mule, Boomerang!" added Mr. Sharp. "He's just in time!"
commented Mr. Damon with a sigh of relief, as the ancient outfit, in
charge of the aged colored man, came along. Eradicate had been sent to
Shopton to get a load of wood for Mr. Swift, and was now returning. At
the sight of the stalled auto the mule pricked up his long ears, and
threw them forward.

"Whoa dar, now, Boomerang!" cried Eradicate. "Doan't yo' all commence
t' gittin' skittish. Dat machine ain't gwine t' hurt yo'. Why good
land a' massy! Ef 'tain't Mistah Swift!" cried the colored man, as he
caught sight of Tom. "What's de trouble?" he asked.

"Broke down," answered the young inventor briefly. "You always seem to
come along when I'm in trouble, Rad."

"Dat's right," assented the darkey, with a grin. "Me an' trouble am ole
acquaintances. Sometimes she hits me a clip on de haid, den, ag'in
Boomerang, mah mule, gits it. He jest had his trouble. Got a stone
under his shoe, an' didn't want t' move. Den when I did git him started
he balked on me. But I'se all right now. But I suah am sorry fo' you.
Can't I help yo' all, Mistah Swift?"

"Yes, you can, Rad," answered Tom. "Drive home as fast as you can, and
ask Dad to send back with you some of those fuses he'll find on my work
bench. He knows what I want. Hurry there and hurry back."

Eradicate shook his head doubtfully.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to go?" asked Mr. Sharp, a trifle
nettled. "We can't get the car started until we have some new fuses.."

"Oh, I wants t' go all right 'nuff, Mistah Sharp," was Eradicate's
prompt answer. "Yo' all knows I'd do anyt'ing t' 'blige yo' or Mistah
Swift. But hits dish yeah mule, Boomerang. I jest done promised him dat
we were gwine home t' dinnah, an' he 'spects a manger full ob oats. Ef
I got to Mistah Swift's house wid him, I couldn't no mo' git him t'
come back widout his dinnah, dan yo' all kin git dat 'ar car t' move
widout dem fusin' t'ings yo' all talked about."

"Bless my necktie!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "That's all nonsense! You
don't suppose that mule understands what you say to him, do you? How
does he know you promised him his dinner?"

"I