he steps. A feeling of tremendous relief swept over young Swift as he
discovered his precious green disk in Koku's left hand.

[Illustration: Koku Was Dragging a Man]

"Ha, Master Tom! Catchum bad mans tryin' to sneak through gate! See
green thing stick out of pocket and grabbum--bringum here. Want me
hittum again?"

"Please don't let him hurt me, Mr. Swift," snivelled the man. "He hit me
an awful blow back there."

[Illustration: "Want Me Hittum Again?"]

"You had it coming to you," retorted Tom sternly. "Besides, you're not
hurt very much. Koku, bring him in here. You certainly did a good piece
of work when you nabbed this fellow. Take him into the office and we'll
have a word or two with him before I call the police."

"I ain't talkin'," muttered the man, shifting uncomfortably and looking
rather uneasily at the giant. "You ain't got nothin' on me. I just found
that chunk of green glass in the field."

[Illustration: "You Ain't Got Nothin' on Me."]

"Don't lie to me, unless you want to be mussed up some more," said Tom
grimly, glancing at Koku. "I think I'll just take a look through your
pockets. Perhaps you found a few other little things when you broke in
here."

Under the menacing eye of the giant, the man submitted sullenly to the
search. There was nothing in his clothes to identify him. Apparently he
had stolen nothing else from the laboratory. He refused to answer any
questions, however. Tom gave up and summoned the police by telephone.

[Illustration: Tom Searched the Man]

"O Master, here other thing in man's pocket!" exclaimed Koku, after the
thief had been carted away to jail. "It stuck to round green thing when
I yank away from um." He handed Tom a bit of pasteboard from which the
lower third had been torn.

"It's a business card of the Apex Glass Works with the representative's
name ripped off!" exclaimed young Swift aloud. Then to himself he added,
"I wonder? Maybe Ned was right after all and they ARE after my formula
for bendable glass!"

[Illustration: A Business Card]

Tom immediately called the home of Mr. Stern, head of the glass works,
to whom he related the occurrence. The executive was shocked and very
indignant at the thought of there being a criminal among his employees
and promised to investigate thoroughly.

"I hope you don't think I had anything to do with this, Mr. Swift!" the
man exclaimed.

[Illustration: The Executive Was Shocked]

"Not in the least, sir. But if you