"An' you let me scatter dirt?" asked Koku, for such was the giant's idea of working in the garden.
"Yes, yo' kin scatter de dirt seben ways from Sunday fo' all I keers!" conceded Eradicate. Then, as he was lowered to the ground, he and the giant turned and saw Mr. Damon and Tom approaching.
"What's wrong?" asked the young inventor.
"'Scuse me, Massa Tom," began Eradicate, "but didn't yo' tell me to spade de garden?"
"I guess I did," admitted Tom Swift.
"An' you tell me help—yes?" questioned Koku.
"Well, I thought it would be a little too much for you, Rad," said Tom, gently. "I thought perhaps you'd like help."
"Hu! Not him, anyhow!" declared the colored man in great disgust. "When I git so old dat I cain't spade a garden, den me an' Boomerang, we-all gwine to die, dat's all I got to say. I was a-spadin' my part ob de garden, Massa Tom, same laik Mr. Damon done tole me to, an' dish yeah big mess ob bones steps on my side ob de middle an—"
"Him too slow. Koku scatter dirt twice times so fast!" declared the giant, whose English was not much better than Eradicate's.
"Yes, I see," said Tom. "You are so strong, Koku, that you finished your part before Eradicate did. Well, it was good of you to want to help him."