Understand?"

"Of a courseness," grumbled Koku. "Koku understand everything
Master say."

"Well, you don't act as though you did. Next time when I want
any help I may have to bring Rad with me."

"Oh, no, Master! Not that old man. He don't know how to help
Master. Koku do just what Master say."

"Like fun you do," said Tom, still apparently very angry with
the simple-minded giant. "Get back into the car and sit still, if
you can, until we get to Mr. Damon's house." Then to himself he
added: "I don't blame that fellow, whoever he is, for lighting
out. I bet he's running yet!"

He knew that Koku would say nothing regarding the incident. The
giant had wonderful powers of silence! He sometimes went days
without speaking even to Rad. And that was one of the sources of
irritation between the voluble colored man and the giant.

"'Tain't human," Rad often said, "for nobody to say nothin' as
much as dat Koku does. Why, lawsy me! if he was tongue-tied an'
speechless, an' a deaf an' dumb mute, he couldn't say nothin'
more obstreperously dan he does--no sir! 'Tain't human."

So Tom had not to warn the giant not to chatter about meeting
the stranger on the road to Waterfield. If that person with dried
red mud on his boots was the spy who had followed Mr. Richard