“Hello, Koku!” he called, for the giant slept in the place. “Any trouble during the night?” There was no answer. “He must be sleeping yet,” thought Tom, “Well, we were all up a bit late.” He went into the room where his chest of secrets, as Ned had named it, was kept, and the instant he opened the door Tom saw that the oak box was gone! “They’ve got it!” he cried. “Koku! Come here! Where are you? How does it happen that my chest is gone? You’re a fine watchman!” He threw open the door of the room where the giant slept. Koku, too was gone! CHAPTER XIX KOKU IS FOUND TOM SWIFT lost little time in putting into operation such means as were at his command for tracing the missing chest of secrets and the vanished giant. He pressed certain push buttons connected with distant summoning bells, located in different parts of the works, and soon there came flocking into his office several of his foremen and Garret Jackson, who had general charge of the works. As the last of these helpers arrived, Ned Newton and his father reached the office for the day’s work, and it was with no little surprise that they observed this gathering. “What’s wrong, Tom?” cried Ned. “Has anything happened?” “I should say there has!” cried the young inventor. “My chest of secrets has been taken away!” “Whew!” whistled Ned. “With Koku here to guard it!” cried Mr. Newton. “How was that possible?” “Well, the robbers took Koku also,” explained Tom. “He’s gone, and so is my chest.” “Both gone!” cried Mr. Jackson. “Is there any coincidence here, Tom? Maybe Koku took the chest!” “Nonsense!” exclaimed Tom. “I’d trust that giant with my last dollar. Besides, Koku hasn’t any more notion of the value of the plans and patent papers in my chest than he has of how to work out a cross-word puzzle. It isn’t in him to plan or carry out anything like this, even if he had the wish, which he hasn’t.” “What’s your theory, Tom, of the two disappearing at the same time?” asked Ned. “Well, Koku must have surprised the robbers at work lifting my chest out,” explained Tom. “That being so, he went at them. They killed him and carried him off with them, or else his body is hidden around here somewhere. That’s why I summoned you men,” he went on to his foremen. “I want a search made of every part of the house and grounds. Let the work go for the day. Koku and the chest must be found!” “It would take a pretty big and husky bunch of robbers to overcome Koku,” suggested Ned. “And if there was such a big gang here they would have made a noise, which I should think you’d have heard up at the house, Tom.” “I didn’t hear a thing. Perhaps having taken a headache powder would account for that. But neither Eradicate nor Mrs. Baggert heard anything out of the ordinary, I’m sure, or they would have said something about it to me. As for dad, when he goes to bed he sleeps, and does little else.”