CHAPTER V
TOM GETS A WARNING
"Bless my shoe buttons!" exclaimed a voice, as a man came toward Tom'sshop, a little later. "Bless my very necktie! This is odd. I go to thehouse, and find no one there. I come out here, and not a soul is about.Tom Swift can't have gone off on another one of his wonderful trips,without sending me word. I know he wouldn't do that. And yet, bless mywatch and chain, I can't find any one!"
It was Mr. Damon who spoke, as my old readers have already guessed. Hepeered into one of the shop windows, and saw something like a fogfilling the place.
"That's strange," he went on. "I don't see Tom there, and yet it looksas if an experiment was going on. I wonder--"
Mr. Damon heard some one coming up behind him, and turned to see Kokuthe giant, who was returning from the errand on which Tom had sent him.
"Oh, Koku, it's you; is it?" the odd man asked. "Bless my cuff buttons!Where is Tom?"
"In shop I guess."
"I don't see him. Still I had better look. There doesn't seem to be anyone about."
Mr. Damon opened the shop door, and was met by such an outward rush ofchoking gas that he staggered back.
"Bless my--" he began but he had to stop, to cough and gasp. "Theremust have been some sort of an accident," he cried, as he got his lungsfull of fresh air. "A bad accident! Tom could never work in thatatmosphere. Whew!"
"Accident! What is matter?" cried Koku stepping to the doorway. He,too choked and gasped, but his was such a strong and rugged nature, andhis lungs held such a supply of air, that it took more than mere gas toknock him out. He peered in through the wreaths of the acid vapor, andsaw the body of his master, lying on the floor--held down by the heavyiron.
In another instant Koku had rushed in, holding his breath, for, nowthat he was inside the place, the gas made even him feel weak.
"Come back! Come back!" cried Mr. Damon. "You'll be smothered! Waituntil the gas escapes!"
"Then Mr. Tom die!" cried the giant. "I get him--or I no come out."
With one heave of his powerful right arm, Koku lifted the heavy shaftfrom Tom's legs. Then, gathering the lad up in his left arm, as if hewere a baby, Koku staggered out into the fresh air, almost falling withhis burden, as he neared Mr. Damon, for the giant was, well-nighovercome.
"Bless my soul!" cried the odd man. "Is he--is he--"
He did not finish the sentence, but, as Koku laid Tom down on theovercoat of Mr. Damon, which the latter quickly spread on the snow, theeccentric man put his hand over the heart of the young inventor.
"It beats!" he murmured. "He's alive, but very weak. We must get adoctor at once. I'll do what I can. There's no time to spare. Blessmy--"
But Mr. Damon concluded that there was no time for blessing anything,and so he stopped short.
"Carry him up to the house, Koku," he said. "I know where there aresome medicines, and I'll try to revive him while we're waiting for thedoctor Hurry!"
Tom was laid on a lounge, and, just then, Mrs. Baggert came in.
"Telephone for the doctor!" cried Mr. Damon to the housekeeper, whokept her nerve, and did not get excited. "I'll give Tom some ammonia,and other stimulants, and see if I can bring him around. Koku, get mesome cold water."
The telephone was soon carrying the message to the doctor, who promisedto come at once. Koku, in spite of his size, was quick, and soonbrought the water, into which Mr. Damon put some strong medicine, thathe found in a closet. Tom's eyelids fluttered as the others forced someliquid between his lips.
"He's coming around!" cried the eccentric man. "I guess he'll be allright, Koku."
"Koku glad," said the giant simply, for he loved Tom with a deepdevotion.
"Yes, Koku, if it hadn't been for you, though, I don't believe that hewould be alive. That was powerful gas, and a few seconds more in theremight have meant the end of Tom. I didn't see him lying on the floor,until after you rushed in. Bless my thermometer! It is very strange."
They gave Tom more medicine, rubbed his arms and legs, and held ammoniaunder his nose. Slowly he opened his eyes, and in a faint voice asked:
"Where--am--I?"
"In your own house," replied Mr. Damon, cheerfully. "How do you feel?"
"I'm--all--right--now," said Tom slowly. He, felt his strength cominggradually back, and he remembered what had happened, though he did notyet know how he had been saved. The doctor came in at this moment, witha small medical battery, which completed the restorative work begun bythe others. Soon Tom could sit up, though he was still weak and rathersick.
"Who brought me out?" he asked, when he had briefly told how theaccident occurred.
"Koku did," replied Mr. Damon. "I guess none of the rest of us couldhave lifted the iron shaft from your legs."
"It's queer how that fell," said Tom, with a puzzled look on his face."I didn't hit it hard enough to bring it down. Beside, I had it tied tonails, driven into the wall, to prevent just such an accident as this.I must see about it when I get well."
"Not for a couple of days," exclaimed the doctor grimly. "You've gotto stay in bed a while yet. You had a narrow escape, Tom Swift."
"Well, I'm glad I went to Giant Land," said the young inventor, with awan smile. "Otherwise I'd never have Koku," and he lookedaffectionately at the big man, who laughed happily. In nature Koku wasmuch like a child.
Mr. Swift came home a little later, and Ned Newton called, both beingvery much surprised to hear of the accident. As for Eradicate, the poorold colored man was much affected, and would have sat beside Tom's bedall night, had they allowed him.
Our hero recovered rapidly, once the fumes of the gas left his system,and, two days later, he was able to go out to the shop again. At hisrequest everything had been left just as it was after he had beenbrought out. Of course the fumes of the gas were soon dissipated, whenthe door was opened, and the acids, after mingling and giving off thevapor, had become neutralized, so that they were now harmless.
"Now I'm going to see what made that shaft fall," said Tom to Ned, asthe two chums walked over to the bench where the young inventor hadbeen working. "The tap I gave it never ought to have brought it down."
Together they examined the thin, but strong, cords that had been passedaround the shaft, having been fastened to two nails, driven into thewall.
"Look!" cried Tom, pointing to one of the cords.
"What is it?" asked Ned.
"The strands were partly cut through, so that only a little jar wasenough to break the remaining ones," went on Tom. "They've been cutwith a knife, too, and not frayed by vibration against the nail, asmight be the case. Ned, someone has been in my shop, meddling, and hewanted this shaft to fall. This is a trick!"
"Great Scott, Tom! You don't suppose any one wanted that shaft to fallon you; do you?"
"No, I don't believe that. Probably some one wanted to damage theshaft, or he might have thought it would topple over against the bench,and break some of my tools, instruments or machinery. I do delicateexperiments here, and it wouldn't take much of a blow to spoil them.That's why those cords were cut."
"Who did it? Do you think Andy Foger--"
"No, I think it was the man Koku thought was a chicken thief, and whomwe chased the other night. I've got to be on my guard. I wonder if--"
Tom was interrupted by the appearance of Koku, who came out of the shopwith a letter the postman had just left.
"I don't know that writing very well, and yet it looks familiar," saidTom, as he tore open the missive. "Hello, here's more trouble!" heexclaimed as he hastily read it.
"What's up now?" asked Ned.
"This is from Mr. Period, the picture man," went on the young inventor."It's a warning."
"A warning?"
"Yes. He says:
"'Dear Tom. Be on your guard. I understand that a rival moving pictureconcern is after you. They want to make you an offer, and get you awayfrom me. But I trust you. Don't have anything to do with these otherfellows. And, at the same time, don't give them a hint as to
our plans.Don't tell them anything about your new camera. There is a lot ofjealousy and rivalry in this business and they are all after me.They'll probably come to see you, but be on your guard. They know thatI have been negotiating with you. Remember the alarm the other night.'"