Tom was silent a moment. Then he said:
"Well, I admit that there is something attractive about it. I hoped I was going to stay home for a long time. But--"
"Then you"ll go!" cried Mr. Period eagerly. "Here"s the money," and he quickly filled out a check for Tom"s first expenses, holding the slip of paper toward the young inventor.
"Wait a minute! Hold on!" cried Tom. "Not so fast if you please. I haven"t yet made up my mind."
"But you will; won"t you?" asked Mr. Period.
"Well, I"ll make up my mind, one way or the other," replied the young man. "I won"t say I"ll go, but--"
"I"ll tell you what I"ll do!" interrupted Mr. Period. "I"m a busy man, and every second is worth money to me. But I"ll wait for you to make up your mind. I"ll give you until to-morrow night. How"s that? Fair, isn"t it?"
"Yes--I think so. I am afraid--"
"I"m not!" broke in the picture man. "I know you"ll decide to go. Think of the fun and excitement you"ll have. Now I"ve taken up a lot of your time, and I"m going to leave you alone. I"ll be back tomorrow evening for my answer. But I know you"re going to get those moving pictures for me. Is that giant of yours anywhere about?" he asked, as he looked cautiously around before leaving the shop. "I don"t want to fall into his hands again."
"I don"t blame you," agreed Tom. "I never knew him to act that way before. But I"ll go to the gate with you, and Koku will behave himself.
I am sorry--"
"Don"t mention it!" broke in the picture man. "It was worth all I suffered, if you go, and I know you will. Don"t trouble yourself to come out. I can find my way, and if your giant comes after me, I"ll call for help."
He hurried out before Tom could follow, and, hearing the gate click a little later, and no call for help coming, our hero concluded that his visitor had gotten safely away.
"Well, what am I going to do about it?" mused Tom, as he resumed work on his silent motor. He had not been long engaged in readjusting some of the valves, when he was again interrupted.
This time it was his chum, Ned Newton, who entered, and, as Ned was well known to the giant, nothing happened.
"Well, what"s up, Tom?" asked Ned.
"Why, did you notice anything unusual?" asked Tom.
"I saw Koku standing at the gate a while ago, looking down the road at a short stout man, with a red tie. Your giant seemed rather excited about something."
"Oh, yes. I"ll tell you about it," and Tom related the details of Mr.
Period"s visit.
"Are you going to take his offer?" asked Ned.
"I"ve got until tomorrow to make up my mind. What would you do, Ned?"
"Why, I"d take it in a minute, if I knew how to make an electric camera. I suppose it has to be a very speedy one, to take the kind of pictures he wants. Wait, hold on, I"ve just thought of a joke. It must be a swift camera--catch on--you"re Swift, and you make a swift camera; see the point?"
"I do," confessed Tom, with a laugh. "Well, Ned, I"ve been thinking it over, but I can"t decide right away. I will tomorrow night, though."
"Then I"m coming over, and hear what it is. If you decide to go, maybe you"ll take me along."
"I certainly will, and Mr. Damon, too."
"How about the giant?"
"Well, I guess there"ll be room for him. But I haven"t decided yet.
Hand me that wrench over there; will you," and then Tom and Ned began talking about the new apparatus on which the young inventor was working.
True to his promise Mr. Period called the next evening. He found Tom, Ned and Mr. Swift in the library, talking over various matters.
"Well, Tom, have you made up your mind?" asked the caller, when Mrs.
Baggert, the housekeeper, had shown him into the room. "I hope you have, and I hope it is favorable to me."
"Yes," said Tom slowly, "I"ve thought it all over, and I have decided that I will--"
At that moment there was a loud shouting outside the house, and the sound of some one running rapidly through the garden that was just outside the low library window--a garden now buried deep under snow.
"What"s that?" cried Ned, jumping to his feet.
"That was Koku"s voice," replied Tom, "and I guess he was chasing after some one."
"They"ll need help if that giant gets hold of them," spoke Mr. Period solemnly, while the noise outside increased in volume.
CHAPTER IV
HELD FAST
"Here, Tom! Come back! Where are you going?" cried aged Mr. Swift, as his son started toward the window.
"I"m going to see what"s up, and who it is that Koku is chasing,"
replied the young inventor.
As he spoke he opened the window, which went all the way down to the floor. He stepped out on a small balcony, put his hand on the railing, and was about to leap over. Back of him was his father, Mr. Period and Ned.
"Come back! You may get hurt!" urged Mr. Swift. He had aged rapidly in the last few months, and had been obliged to give up most of his inventive work. Naturally, he was very nervous about his son.
"Don"t worry, dad," replied the youth. "I"m not in much danger when Koku is around."
"That"s right," agreed the moving picture man. "I"d sooner have that giant look after me than half a dozen policemen."
The noise had now grown fainter, but the sound of the pursuit could still be heard. Koku was shouting in his hearty tones, and there was the noise of breaking twigs as the chase wound in and out of the garden shrubbery.
Tom paused a moment, to let his eyes get somewhat used to the darkness.
There was a crescent moon, that gave a little light, and the snow on the ground made it possible to notice objects fairly well.
"See anything?" asked Ned, as he joined his chum on the balcony.
"No, but I"m going to have a closer look. Here goes!" and Tom leaped to the ground.