line he had begun to unreel.

"Ha! Massa Tom say drop de hose, but how yo' gwine t' squirt
watah on a fire wifout a hose; answer me dat?" and Eradicate
looked at Koku.

"Me no know," was the slow answer. "I guess Koku go pull shed
down and stamp out fire."

"Huh! Maybe yo' could do dat in cannibal land, where yo' all
come from," spoke Eradicate, "but yo' can't do dat heah! 'Sides,
de red shed will blow up soon. Dere's suffin' else in dere except
carbide, an' dat's gwine t' go up soon, dat's suah!"

"Maybe you get your strong man-mule, Boomerang," suggested
Koku. "Nothing ever hurt him--explosion or nothing. He can kick
shed all to pieces, and put out fire."

"Dat's what I wanted t' do, but Massa Tom say I cain't,"
explained the colored man. "Golly! Look at dat fire!"

Indeed the blaze was now assuming alarming proportions. The red
shed, which was not a small structure, was blazing on all sides.
About it stood the men from the various shops.

"Tom, you must do something," said Mr. Swift. "If the flames
once reach that helmanite--"

"I know, Father. But that explosive is in double vacuum
containers, and it will be safe for some time yet. Besides, it's