"Koku did," replied Mr. Damon. "I guess none of the rest of us
could have 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 to nails, 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 got to 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 a wan smile. "Otherwise I'd never have Koku," and he looked
affectionately at the big man, who laughed happily. In nature
Koku was much like a child.

Mr. Swift came home a little later, and Ned Newton called, both
being very much surprised to hear of the accident. As for
Eradicate, the poor old colored man was much affected, and would
have sat beside Tom's bed all 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 his request everything had been left just as it was
after he had been brought out. Of course the fumes of the gas
were soon dissipated, when the door was opened, and the acids,
after mingling and giving off the vapor, had become neutralized,
so that they were now harmless.