"Oh, I won't come. Not as long as dat giant am heah, anyhow," said
the negro earnestly. "Besides, I were only goin' t' count
Eradicate's chickens, t' see ef he had as many as I got."

"All right," responded Tom. "Now, Koku, you may escort him off the
premises, and be on the lookout the rest of the night, off and on.
Where's Rad?"

"He has what he says is 'de misery' in his back so that he had to go
to bed," explained the giant, to account for the faithful colored
man not having responded to the alarm.

"All right, get rid of Sam, and then come back."

As Tom turned to go in his shop he saw his aged father coming slowly
toward him. Mr. Swift had hastily dressed.

"What is the matter, Tom?" he asked. "Has anything happened? I heard
your alarm go off, and I came as quickly as I could."

"Nothing much has happened, father, excepting a chicken thief. But
something great may come of it. Do you notice that searchlight, and
how powerful it is?"

"I do, Tom. I never knew you had one as big as that."

"Neither did I, and I haven't, really. That's one of my smallest
ones, but something seems to have happened to it to make it throw
out a beam like that. I'm just going to look. Come on in the shop."