Mr. Damon and Ned had gone out for a walk in the woods, and Mr. Whitford had not yet arrived.  As for Mr. Koku, Tom did not know where his giant servant was.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside.  A trampling in the bushes, and the breaking of sticks under feet.

“I got you now!” cried the voice of the giant.

Tom sprang to the window of the pilot house.  He saw Koku tightly holding a man who was squinting about, and doing his best to break away.  But it was useless.  When Koku got hold of any one, that person had to stay.

“What is it, Koku!” cried Tom.

“I got him!” cried the giant.  “He sneaking up on airship, but I come behind and grab him,” and Koku fairly lifted his prisoner off his feet and started with him toward the Falcon.

CHAPTER XVII

WHAT THE INDIAN SAW

“Hello!” cried Tom.  “What’s up, Koku?”

“Him up!” replied the giant with a laugh, as he looked at his squirming prisoner, whose feet he had lifted from the ground.

“No, I mean what was he doing?” went on Tom, with a smile at the literal way in which the giant had answered his question.

“I wasn’t doing anything!” broke in the man.  “I’d like to know if I haven’t a right to walk through these woods, without being grabbed up by a man as big as a mountain?  There’ll be something up that you won’t like, if you don’t let me go, too!” and he struggled fiercely, but he was no match for giant Koku.

“What was he doing?” asked Tom of his big servant, ignoring the man.  Tom looked closely at him, however, but could not remember to have seen him before.

“I walking along in woods, listen to birds sing,” said Koku simply, taking a firmer hold on his victim.  “I see this fellow come along, and crawl through grass like so a snake wiggle.  I to myself think that funny, and I watch.  This man he wiggle more.  He wiggle more still, and then he watch.  I watch too.  I see him have knife in hand, but I am no afraid.  I begin to go like snake also, but I bigger snake than he.”

“I guess so,” laughed Tom, as he watched the man trying in vain to get out of Koku’s grip.

“Then I see man look up at balloon bag, so as if he like to cut it with knife.  I say to myself, ’Koku, it is time for you to go into business for yourself.’  You stand under me?”

“I understand!” exclaimed Tom.  “You thought it was time for you to get busy.”

“Sure,” replied Koku.  “Well, I get business, I give one jump, and I am so unlucky as to jump with one foot on him, but I did not mean it.  I go as gentle as I can.”

“Gentle?  You nearly knocked the wind out of me!” snarled the prisoner.  “Gentle!  Huh!”

“I guess he was the unlucky one, instead of you,” put in Tom.  “Well, what happened next?”

“I grab him, and—­he is still here,” said Koku simply.  “He throw knife away though.”