“A bear?” muttered the giant, not quite sure what the word meant. His knowledge of anything but the commonest English terms was meagre. The thing beyond the bushes moved. It was down beside the lake itself, and Rad was sure it must be drinking. “Yo’ look out, giant!” he whispered warningly to the giant. But there was nothing much that Koku was really afraid of save spirits and magic. Any animal smaller than an elephant or rhinoceros he was not much afraid to attack. He uttered a challenging yell, leaped almost straight up in the air, and went over the hedge of hazel brush as though from a spring-board. It is fortunate he did not land upon Eradicate Sampson’s “bear.” That individual likewise uttered a yell and leaped away from the giant with much agility. “Whoo! Ketch him!” shouted Eradicate, charging through the bushes. “Don’t let him git away, boy!” But the giant remained rooted where he had landed upon the sandy beach. Almost at his feet, floating on the surface of the quiet water, was a polished piece of hollow bamboo to which a pair of inflated bladders was attached—one on either side of the stick. “Mars’ Tom!” shrieked Eradicate Sampson. “Master no bear—what you say!” exclaimed Koku angrily. “Koku jump on him, he be all smashed up. Rad old fool!” “Hey!” cried Tom Swift, with some heat. “You big clown! Don’t be so quick to jump on anything or anybody. Even a bear has some rights that you are bound to respect. And you, Rad, why did you sic him onto me?” “Nebber did such a thing!” declared Rad warmly. “Nobody but a big fool giant would try to jump right down a bear’s throat widout lookin’ whar he was jumpin’! Huh!” Koku likewise snorted his disgust. As usual, the two tried to lay the fault on each other. But Tom came back with a grin on his face. “I certainly did think a flying pterodactyl, or something of the kind, was swooping over those bushes to get me,” he declared. “He’s sure wuss nor dat,” declared Rad solemnly. “He’s wuss nor a terrydicktil—sure is. He’s wuss dan a locofoco.” Koku rolled his eyes tremendously at the sound of these big words which he no more understood than Rad himself did. Tom hastened to relieve the giant’s feelings to a degree. “How many fish did you boys catch?” he asked. “All lak’ Mist’ Damon cotched when he went to Florida after tarpon. One!” chuckled Rad. “Mist’ Damon said he was two days cotchin’ dat one; an’ when he seen how big it was he thought he ought t’ve spent a week at it. This Koku actin’ like it was de on’y fish ever caught in dis lake,” he added, with scorn. “Well, go on, you two, with your fishing,” said Tom. “I’ve a problem to think out and I don’t want to be bothered by either pterodactyls or locofocos. Get along now.”