Tom Swift Among the Fire Fighters | Page 4

my father is not feeling well and wants to speak to me or that some one may have telephoned. I told them not to disturb me while you and I were going over the accounts. But if it is something of importance--"
Again Tom paused, for distinctly now in addition to the ever- increasing sounds in the streets could be heard a shuffling and talking in the hall just outside the door.
"G'wan 'way from heah now!" cried the voice of a colored man.
"It is Rad!" exclaimed Tom, meaning thereby Eradicate Sampson, an aged but faithful colored servant. And then the voice of Rad, as he was most often called, went on with:
"G'wan 'way! I'll tell Massa Tom!"
"Me tell! Big thing! Best for big man tell!" broke in another voice; a deep, booming voice that could only proceed from a powerfully built man.
"Koku!" exclaimed Tom, with a half comical look at Ned. "He and Rad are at it again!"
Koku was a giant, literally, and he had attached himself to Tom when the latter had made one of many perilous trips. So eager were Eradicate and Koku to serve the young inventor that frequently there were more or less good-natured clashes between them to see who would have the honor.
The discussion and scuffle in the hall at length grew so insistent that Tom, fearing the aged colored man might accidentally be hurt by the giant Koku, opened the door. There stood the two, each endeavoring to push away the other that the victor might, it appeared, knock on the door. Of course Rad was no match for Koku, but the giant, mindful of his great strength, was not using all of it.
"Here! what does this mean?" cried Tom, rather more sternly than he really meant. He had to pretend to be stern at times with his old colored helper and the impulsive and powerful giant. "What are you cutting up for outside my door when I told you I must be quiet with Mr. Newton?"
"No can be quiet!" declared the giant. "Too much noise in street--big crowds--much big!"
He spoke an English of his own, did Koku.
"What are the crowds doing?" asked Ned. "I thought we'd been hearing an ever increasing tumult, Tom," he said to the young inventor.
"Big crowds--'um go to see big--"
"Heah! Let me tell Massa Tom!" pleaded Rad. Poor Rad! He was getting old and could not perform the services that once he had so readily and efficiently done. Now he was eager to help Tom in such small measure as carrying him a message. So it was with a feeling of sadness that Tom heard the old man say again, pleadingly:
"Let me tell him, Koku! I know all 'bout it! Let me tell Massa Tom whut it am, an'--"
"Well, go ahead and tell me!" burst out Tom, with a good- natured laugh. "Don't keep me in suspense. If there's anything going on--"
He did not finish the sentence. It was evident that something of moment was going on, for the crowds in the street were now running instead of walking, and voices could be heard calling back and forth such exclamations as:
"Where is it?"
"Must be a big one
"And with this wind it'll be worse!"
Tom glanced at Ned and then at the two servants.
"Has anything happened?" asked the young inventor.
"Dey's a big fire, Massa Tom!" exploded Rad.
"Heap big blaze!" added Koku.
At the same time, out in the street high and clear, the cry rang out:
"Fire! Fire!"
"Is it any of our buildings?" exclaimed Tom, in his excitement catching hold of the giant's arm.
"No, it's quite a way off, on de odder side of town," answered the colored man. "But we t'ought we'd better come an' tell yo', an'--"
"Yes! Yes! I'm glad you did, Rad. It was perfectly right for you to tell me! I wish you'd done it sooner, though! Come on, Ned! Let's go to the blaze! We can finish looking over the figures another time. Is my father all right, Rad?"
"Yes, suh, Massa Tom, he's done sleepin' good."
"Then don't disturb him. Mr. Newton and I will go to the fire. I'm glad it isn't here," and Tom looked from a side window out on many shops that were not a great distance from the house; shops where he and his father had perfected many inventions.
The buildings had grown up around the old Swift homestead, which, now that so much industry surrounded it, was not the most pleasant place to live in. Tom and his father only made this their stopping place in winter. In the summer they dwelt in a quiet cottage far removed from the scenes of their industry.
"We'll take the electric runabout, Ned," remarked Tom, as he caught up a hat from the rack, an example followed by his friend. Together the young inventor and the financial manager hurried