r Koku," boomed the giant. "Liftum in one hand!"

Though it was not a large instrument as telescopes go, this one, with
the massive iron pier upon which it was mounted, weighed not far from
four hundred pounds. When Koku clamped his mighty hand about the stand
he seemed to lift it as easily as a boy might raise a baseball bat or
a golf club.

[Illustration: Koku Lifted It Easily]

"I'll never get used to his strength," murmured Ned as the boys followed
the giant through the laboratory door, Tom carrying his marvelous green
disk.

"He is a big boy, for fair," laughed Tom. "Lucky for our prize-fighters
he hasn't gone into the ring."

After carefully placing the telescope where the inventor directed, Koku
returned to the bench under a near-by apple tree where it was his wont
to rest when he was not needed.

[Illustration: Tom Carried the Green Disk]

"Now what, Tom?" questioned Ned. "Surely you're not expecting to see
stars in broad daylight?"

"Oh, no, though it could be done," returned Tom, pointing the instrument
toward the crest of a wooded hill several miles distant from Shopton.
"Now we're ready. Take a peek."

"Well," said Ned, peering into the eyepiece, "all I see are a few
trees."

[Illustration: "Take a Peek," Invited Tom]

"Just stand by," directed his friend, clamping his green disk over the
front lens, or objective, of the telescope and turning on the current.
As before, the green stuff seemed to vanish. "Now, look again," he said.

No sooner had Ned put his eye to the instrument than he gave a start.
"It's magic!" he exclaimed. "Why, that hill seems as if it were right
here and the view is much brighter. I can see every leaf on the trees
and--yes! even a bird's nest and the little birds in it!"

[Illustration: "It's Magic!" He Exclaimed]

"Now maybe you have an idea as to how I propose to discover the secret
of life on the planets," responded Tom calmly.

"The secret? What do you mean? Surely you don't expect to see men on
Mars!"

"I mean to build a telescope with a space eye big enough and powerful
enough to do it!" The young inventor's face lit up with a strange light.
"It's the greatest thing yet, Ned!"

[Illustration: "What Do You Mean?" Asked Ned]

CHAPTER II

SUSPICIONS

"Yes," said Ned dubiously, "if you can do it. Oh, I'll admit that your
invention improves a telescope marvelously. But to see life on another
world, millions of miles away--well, that sounds like a pre