“Are you sure he was after the chickens?” asked Tom, with quick suspicion in his mind, for, several times of late, unscrupulous persons had tried to enter his shop, to get knowledge of his valuable inventions before they were patented.

“Course he were arter de chickens,” replied Eradicate.  “But he didn’t git none.”

“Come on, Ned!” cried Tom, breaking into a run.  “I want to catch whoever this was.  Did you see him, Rad?”

“Only jes’ had a glimpse ob his back.”

“Well, you go back to the house and tell father and Mr. Period about it.  Ned and I will go on with Koku.  I hope to get the fellow.”

“Why, Tom?” asked his chum.

“Because I think he was after bigger game than chickens.  My noiseless motor, for the new airship, is nearly complete, and it may have been some one trying to get that.  I received an offer from a concern the other day, who wished to purchase it, and, when I refused to sell, they seemed rather put out.”

The two lads raced on, while Eradicate tottered back to the house, where he found Mr. Swift and the picture man awaiting him.

“I guess he got away,” remarked Ned, after he and his chum had covered nearly the length of the big garden.

“I’m afraid so,” agreed Tom.  “I can’t hear Koku any more.  Still, I’m not going to give up.”

Pantingly they ran on, and, a little later, they met the big man coming back.

“Did he get away?” asked Tom.

“Yes, Mr. Tom, he scaped me all right.”

“Escaped you mean, Koku.  Well, never mind.  You did your best.”

“I would like to have hold of him,” spoke the giant, as he stretched out his big arms.

“Did you know who he was?” inquired Ned.

“No, I couldn’t see his face,” and he gave the same description of the affair as had Eradicate.

“Was it a full grown man, or some one about my size?” Tom wanted to know.

“A man,” replied the giant.

“Why do you ask that?” inquired Ned, as the big fellow went on to resume his talk with Eradicate, and the two chums turned to go into the house, after the fruitless chase.

“Because, I thought it might be Andy Foger,” was Tom’s reply.  “It would be just like him, but if it was a man, it couldn’t be him.  Andy’s rather short.”

“Besides, he doesn’t live here any more,” said Ned.

“I know, but I heard Sam Snedecker, who used to be pretty thick with him, saying the other day that he expected a visit from Andy.  I hope he doesn’t come back to Shopton, even for a day, for he always tries to make trouble for me.  Well, let’s go in, and tell ’em all about our chase after a chicken thief.”

“And so he got away?” remarked Mr. Swift, when Tom had completed his story.

“Yes,” answered the young inventor, as he closed, and locked, the low library window, for there was a chilly breeze blowing.  “I think I will have to rig up the burglar alarm on my shop again.  I don’t want to take any chances.”