"Don't you want to come to Africa with us, Rad?" asked Tom, when the
last of the cases had been sent off. "You'll find a lot of your
friends there."
"No, indeedy, I doan't want t' go," answered the colored man,
"though I would like to see dat country."
"Then why don't you come?"
"Hu! Yo' think, Massa Tom, dat I go anywhere dat I might meet dem
little red men what Massa Durban talk about? No, sah, dey might hurt
mah mule Boomerang."
"Oh, I wasn't going to take the mule along," said Tom, wondering how
the creature might behave in the airship.
"Not take Boomerang? Den I SUTTINLY ain't goin," and Eradicate
walked off, highly offended, to give some oats to his faithful if
somewhat eccentric steed.
After the airship had been sent off there yet remained much for Tom
Swift to do. He had to send along a number of special tools and
appliances with which to put the ship together again, and also some
with which to repair the craft in case of accident. So that this
time was pretty well occupied. But at length everything was in
readiness, and with his electric rifle knocked down for
transportation, and with his baggage, and that of the others, all
packed, they set off one morning to take the train for New York,
where they would get a steamer for Africa.
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