Allen Chapman

“ Mrs. Layton smiled back. “But you can make all the noise you want as long as you are happy,” and with a wave of her hand she left them.
“A triple play!” exclaimed Bob hilariously. “The thing that happens only once in a blue moon. Say, fellows, maybe we didn’t pick out a corking game to christen our radio with!”
“And almost as good as though we were right at the grounds,” cried Joe. “I’ve seen many a game, and I never got more real excitement over one than I’ve had this afternoon. I could almost hear my heart beat while I was wondering what Krug was going to do.” ”

“ Bob shouted. “The same things that are bothering us are bothering Cassey too. But there’s no use in our all sticking close together. Let’s spread out like a fan, and if one of us doesn’t come across him, another may. The first fellow that catches sight of him can let out a shout and we’ll all close in. Come ahead now, fellows. Speed’s the word.”
They set out with redoubled determination and made their way the best they could against the fury of the elements. The din created by the roaring of the gale and the thunderous beating of the surf upon the beach was beyond description. ”

“ Harvey is one of the finest men I’ve ever met,” said Bob, as they walked briskly along. “He and his cousin are a good deal alike. They both know a lot, and they’re both willing to help other people understand the things they’re interested in.”
“Yes, we couldn’t have made a better friend,” said Joe. “I only hope we have the chance to do something for him some day. I feel as though I’d learned a lot about radio just since we came to Ocean Point.” ”

“ The crab dropped back into the water, and Herbert dashed to the safety of the beach.
“Oh, my poor foot!” he groaned. “I’ll bet that confounded crab could pinch the propeller off a battleship.”
“Oh, don’t mind a little thing like that,” said Jimmy vengefully. “Just think of the nice crabs you’ll have for dinner to-night, and it won’t hurt any more.”
“Oh, shut up!” exclaimed Herb, for Bob and Joe, while they were sorry for him, could not help laughing at his woebegone appearance. “It won’t be as much fun when one of you gets nipped.”
“I get out before they have a chance to catch me,” said Jimmy. ”

“ I tell you, fellows, we haven’t begun yet to realize what a wonderful thing this radio is. It’s simply a miracle.”
“Right you are,” agreed Joe. “And just remember that what’s true of us four is true of four thousand or perhaps four hundred thousand. Take the biggest concert hall in the United States and perhaps it will hold five thousand. When it’s full, everybody else has to stay away. But there’s no staying away with radio. And every one has as good a seat as any one else. Think where that concert’s been heard to-night. ”

“ I tell you, boys, we haven’t half begun to realize what the discovery of radio means to the world.
“Now all this leads us back to vacuum tubes, for it’s only with them that all these things would be possible. Perhaps in the future something better yet will be invented, but they’re the best we have at present. I’m heartily in favor of you boys using a tube instead of a crystal, because it will give you vastly more enjoyment in your work. ”

“ When the concert was over at last there was a regular storm of handclapping and calls for the boys, who at length had to appear on the porch, looking, it must be confessed, as though they would rather have been almost anywhere else.
Cries of “Speech! Speech!” came from the audience, and at last Bob stepped forward.
“We’re mighty glad if all you folks enjoyed the concert,” he said. “We boys are all very much interested in radio, and we want to have everybody know what it is like. Maybe before the sanitarium gets finished you’ll have to listen to another concert,” he added, with a grin. ”

“ It’s hard to keep calm and cold-blooded when I get to talking about radio.”
“Well, you don’t care to talk about it more than we care to hear about it, you can be sure of that,” said Joe warmly.
“Yes,” chimed in Jimmy, “to me it’s more interesting than a—a pirate story,” he added rather lamely.
“With the advantage,” laughed Dr. Dale, “that the pirate story usually has lots of pain and misery in it for somebody, while the radio has nothing but benefit for everybody. Why, you can scarcely think of any experience in which the radio won’t help. Take an Arctic expedition for instance. ”

“ Brandon, “I usually spend a week or two at Ocean Point myself, and I have a cousin there who has charge of the Ocean Point radio station. His name is Brandon Harvey. His first name you see is the same as my last name.”
“Why, that’s fine!” exclaimed Bob.
“Radio seems to run in your family,” said Herb, with a smile.
“We’ll look him up and introduce ourselves,” said Joe. “We’re all radio fans, and that’s a sort of freemasonry.”
“You’ll find him a good fellow,” said Brandon. “And I’m sure he’ll be glad to meet you. ”

“ Jimmy looked relieved.
“Now,” continued the doctor, “the theory is that all matter is composed of an infinite number of electrons. An electron is the smallest thing that can be conceived, smaller even than the atom which used to be thought of as the unit. There may be millions, billions, quadrillions of them in a thing as big as a hickory nut. And when these electrons get busy you can look out for things to happen.
“Every hot object sends out electrons. That’s the reason that the filament in the electric light tube sends them out.” ”

“ The splash and gurgle of the water alongside was beginning to make the boys feel drowsy when they suddenly noticed another boat ahead of them. This craft was holding a course diagonal to their own, so that the two boats were drawing slowly together, although at present they were perhaps a mile apart.
“There are some other people out enjoying themselves,” said Bob. “Wonder if they’re anybody we know.”
“We’ll soon be close enough to tell,” said Joe. “By Jimmy!” he exclaimed, a few moments later. “I believe we do know ’em, Bob, worse luck. Don’t you recognize that big fellow that’s steering?” ”

“ They’re fighting each other just as though they enjoyed it.”
“Probably they do,” said Jimmy. “A crab is foolish enough to like anything.”
“They remind me of Buck Looker and his gang,” said Herb, laughing. “They’re always on the lookout for trouble, and they usually get the worst of it when trouble comes along.”
“Yes, but these fellows are real scrappers, while Buck is just a big bully,” said Bob. “I wonder if they’ve come to Ocean Point yet. I suppose if they had, we’d have seen something of them.”
“Oh, I suppose they’ll come pestering around as soon as they get here,” said Joe. ”

“ After they had had enough of this, they went up on the beach and played ball with a cork surf ball that Bob had brought with him.
“This beats digging away in school, by a long sight,” said Jimmy. “Next winter when we’re working away like real good boys, we can think of this and wish we were back here.”
“Not on your life!” said Joe. “This place is very nifty now, but there’s nothing more cold looking than a beach in winter.”
“Oh, well, you know what I mean, you big prune,” said Jimmy. “We’ll wish it were summer and we were back here. It’s just as easy to wish for two things as it is for one.” ”

“ Just as when you touch the trigger of a rifle you have a loud explosion, so the grid magnifies tremendously the sound that would otherwise be weak or only ordinary. And by adding one vacuum valve to another the sound can be still further magnified until the crawling of a fly will sound like the tread of an elephant, until a mere whisper can become a crash of thunder, until the ticking of a watch will remind you of the din of a boiler factory, and the sighing of the wind through the trees on a summer night will be like the roar of Niagara. ”

“ It’ll not be long before we can be sitting in a car traveling, let us say from New York to Albany, and chat with a friend who may be on another train traveling between Chicago and Denver. Or if a business man has started from New York to Chicago and happens to remember something important in his office he can call up his manager and give him directions just the same as though he pressed a buzzer and called him in from the next room.”
“It sounds like magic,” remarked Bob, drawing a long breath. ”

“ By advancing slowly, step at a time, they found their way to the entrance to the bridge and Bob heaved a sigh of relief as his hand rested on the railing.
“Here we are all right,” he said. “Now follow close in Indian file.”
“The inlet has surely gone on a rampage,” Joe remarked. “Just hear the way the water goes tearing along. And from the sound it isn’t so far below the level of the bridge. Don’t let’s dawdle, fellows. I for one will feel a mighty sight better when we get on the other side.” ”

“ There isn’t apt to be a bad storm at this time of year.”
But the weather failed to justify Joe’s optimism. As the day wore on the cloudiness increased, and toward evening a breeze sprang up that kept freshening until it had attained the proportions of a gale. All that night it blew with increasing violence, and the next day, when the boys went down to look at the ocean, they were alarmed at the size and fury of the surf. Toward evening their anxiety increased, as no word had come from the Horolusa, although they had spent the afternoon at their radio set. ”

“ It was evident that the Giant pitcher had not yet got into his stride, for he passed the next two batters, and the bases were filled with only one man out.
“He’s as wild as a March hare,” whispered Jimmy to Herb.
“Sure looks like a run with Krug coming up,” replied Herb. “He can everlastingly lambaste the ball. He’s made two homers this week already.”
“Ball one,” “ball two,” “ball three,” followed in quick succession.
“Looks as if he were going to pass him, too, to get a chance at Hofmeyer,” murmured Joe.
“That would be poor dope, for it would force in a run,” replied Bob. ”

“ Bob’s danger also had been great, and all felt that they had reason for being profoundly grateful over the happy outcome of the adventure.
“You just came in time, fellows,” said Bob. “Joe is no featherweight, and my arm was getting numb. A minute or two more and we’d both have had a tumble that I hate to think about.”
“That shows what good judgment we had in picking just the right time to come,” replied Jimmy, winking slily at Herb. “It takes some brains to be Johnny-on-the-spot just when you’re needed. ”

“ That was a dandy idea of Joe’s and Herb’s of forming a human chain. If they hadn’t done it, we would have gone down with the bridge.”
“Well, now that we’re safe and sound, let’s get after Cassey,” suggested Jimmy. “We’re losing time staying here.”
Bob laughed outright, and Joe and Herb joined in.
“You sure have kept your grit, Jimmy, old boy,” said Bob admiringly. “But you’ve done all the chasing after Cassey that you’re going to do to-night. It’s you for the bungalow and bed just as fast as we can get you there. Then the rest of us will keep up the hunt for that rascal.” ”

“ I wasn’t anywhere near Layton’s barn that whole afternoon.”
“We know better,” said Joe. “Bob and I saw you going along the street a little while before we missed the ladder, and Herb Fennington and Jimmy Plummer saw you and your crowd running away like mad while I was hanging to the pipe alongside the barn.”
“You shut up!” yelled Buck, in a burst of rage.
“Take off your coat, Buck Looker,” cried Joe, dropping his books to the ground, “and I’ll give you the same kind of a trimming that Bob gave you the night you tried to wreck his aerial.” ”

“ In fact, those are the only fellows he hangs out with. None of the decent fellows in town will have anything to do with him. So what do you think of that?”
“Punk!” declared Joe.
“It’s a shame that we can’t get rid of that gang even in vacation time,” said Bob. “Half the fun of getting through with school was the thought that we wouldn’t have to look on Buck’s ugly face for a couple of months.”
“It’s lucky the air down at the Point is salt, or Buck would poison it,” remarked Herb disconsolately. “That fellow’s a regular hoodoo.” ”

“ But the radio is going to break down all these barriers of exclusiveness and remove these misunderstandings. When people get to talking together each finds that the other one isn’t such a bad fellow after all. When a man in Paris picks up his telephone and has a chat with one man in England and then another man in Spain and still another in Italy he finds that they are all human beings and very much like himself. ”

“ Then the ones with which we won the Ferberton prizes looked a good deal better yet. But now here we are making it still better.”
“That’s the beauty of radio,” said Bob, with enthusiasm. “The surface of it hasn’t been more than scratched so far. It’s practically a brand new thing with a million features to be explored and countless improvements to be made. I suppose a few years from now we’ll be laughing at the instruments we’re using now. They’ll seem as old fashioned as the stage coach and the kerosene lamp. ”

“ The inlet, or cove, was a comparatively quiet place and was much frequented by the boys, and indeed all the members of the bungalow colony, for fishing and paddling about in rowboats and canoes, craft that would have been too frail for the open sea.
“Must be getting pretty near the bridge, don’t you think, fellows?” asked Bob, after they had got some distance from the radio station.
“Seems so to me,” replied Joe. “Though in this darkness you can hardly see your hand before your face.”
“We’ve got to be mighty careful and watch our step, or one of us will be tumbling in,” said Herb. ”

“ We never have more than one mother, you know,” he added virtuously.
“Sampled one or two!” sniffed Joe. “One or two dozen you mean.”
“How did you fellows come to get in such a fix?” queried Herb. “Did the ladder fall down?”
“It did not,” returned Bob with emphasis. “It was taken down while we weren’t looking by somebody who wanted to play a trick on us. And I can come pretty near to guessing who did it, too,” he added.
“Why not come right out with it?” said Joe, his face flushing with indignation. “It was Buck Looker and his gang who did it. I’m just as sure of it as though I had seen them. ”