I'll consider the matter, Mr. Jenks. I'll meet you here to-morrow
night. In the meanwhile, for my own satisfaction, I'll let an expert
look at these stones."

"Get the greatest diamond expert in the world, and he'll pronounce them
perfect!" predicted the odd man. "Now I'll bid you goodnight, and be
going. I'll be here at this time to-morrow."

As Mr. Jenks turned aside there was a movement among the trees in the
orchard, and a shadowy figure was seen hurrying away.

"Who's that?" asked the diamond man, in a hoarse whisper. "Did you see
that, Tom Swift? Some one was here--listening to what I said! Perhaps it
was the man who has been shadowing me!"

"I think not. I guess it was Eradicate Sampson, a colored man who does
work for us," said Tom. "Is that you, Rad?" he called.

"Yais, sah, Massa Tom, heah I is!" answered the voice of the negro,
but it came from an entirely different direction than that in which the
shadowy figure had been seen.

"Where are you, Rad?" called the young inventor.

"Right heah," was the reply, and the colored man came from the direction
of the stable. "I were jest out seein' if mah mule Boomerang were all
right. Sometimes he's restless, an' don't sleep laik he oughter."

"Then that wasn't you over in the orchard?" asked Tom, in some
uneasiness.

"No, sah, I ain't been in de orchard. I were sleepin' in mah shack, till
jest a few minutes ago, when I got up, an' went in t' see Boomerang.
I had a dream dat some coon were tryin t' steal him, an' it sort ob
'sturbed me, laik."

"If it wasn't your man, it was some one else," said Mr. Jenks,
decidedly.

"We'll have a look!" exclaimed Tom. "Here, Rad, come over and scurry
among those trees. We just saw some one sneaking around."

"I'll sure do dat!" cried the colored man. "Mebby it were somebody arter
Boomerang! I'll find 'em."

"I don't believe it was any one after the mule," murmured Mr. Jenks,
"but it certainly was some one--more likely some one after me."

The three made a hasty search among the trees, but the intruder had
vanished, leaving no trace. They went out into the road, which the moon
threw into bold relief along its white stretch, but there was no figure
scurrying away.

"Whoever it was, is gone," spoke Tom. "You can go back to bed, Rad,"
for the colored man, of late, had been sleeping in a shack on the Swift
premises.

"And I guess it's time for me to go, too," added Mr. Jenks. "I'll be
here to-morrow night, Tom, and I