shop on the premises."

"That's right." Tom sprang toward the door. "Eradicate!" he
called.

"Yais, sah! Heah I is!" answered the colored man. "I'll go git
mah mule, Boomerang, right away, an' he--"

"Don't you bring Boomerang on the scene!" Tom yelled. "When I
want that shed kicked apart I can do it better than by using a
mule's heels. And you know you can't do a thing with Boomerang
when he sees fire."

"Now dat's so, Massa Tom. But I could put blinkers on him,
an'--"

"No, you let Boomerang stay where he is. Come on, Ned. We'll
see what we can do. Mr. Damon--"

"Yes, Tom, I'm right here," answered the peculiar man, for he
had come over from his home in Waterford to pay a visit to his
friends, Tom and Mr. Swift. "I'll do anything I can to help you,
Tom, bless my necktie!" he went on. "Only say the word!"

"We've got to get some of the stuff out of the place!" Tom
cried. "We may be able to save it, but I can't take a chance on
putting out the fire and letting some of the things in there go
up in smoke. Come on!"

Those in the shed where was housed what Tom hoped would prove