Tom had not warned his faithful servant, the giant Koku, to
watch out for Andy O'Malley in particular; the inventor knew that
the giant would be as cautious about any stranger as could be
wished. But personally Tom was amazed that either O'Malley or
some other henchman of the president of the Hendrickton & Western
did not make an attempt to injure the electric locomotive.
"Perhaps Mr. Bartholomew's police are really of some good,"
said Ned Newton, when his chum mentioned his surprise on this
point. "Has Koku seen nobody lurking about at night?"
"He certainly has not seen the man he calls 'Big Feet,'"
chuckled Tom. "If he had spotted O'Malley, there certainly would
have been an explosion."
"Tell you what," Ned said reflectively, "the longer Lewis keeps
off you, the more suspicious I should be."
"You think he is a bad citizen, do you?"
"And then some, as the boys say out here," replied Ned. "I
wouldn't trust that man any farther than I would a nest of
hornets or a shedding rattlesnake."
"I am inclined to believe, with you, Ned, that Lewis is
hatching up something and is keeping mighty whist about it. I
sounded Mr. Bartholomew on the idea and he, too, is puzzled."
"I guess he knows that hombre," grumbled Ned.
"Mr. Bartholomew admits that several roads have sent
representatives to make inquiries about my locomotive. They have
got wind of it, and, after all, most railroads work in unison.
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