The Radio Boys in the Thousand Islands | Page 8

drink lake water to keep alive. Try again to get a message to me."
Bud tried again and received the following reply:
"Got you faintly. Try again. Where are you?"
But fifteen minutes elapsed before the boy at the key was able to score again. After that, however, they had no difficulty in reaching "Crusoe island" with key and spark.
Then arose the question as to whether they should attempt to find the "radio Crusoe's" island that evening or should seek a suitable mooring place and postpone the search until morning.
"There's one matter to be taken up before we decide to go much further to-night," said Mr. Perry, who had just turned the wheel over to Hal and joined the conference in the cabin.
"What's that?" asked Cub.
"The weather. We're right at the beginning of the Thousand Isles now, but we can have a nasty time of it anywhere in the upper part of the river in a storm. The wind is getting pretty lively, and you know how much the temperature has dropped."
"Oh, I can take care of that," Bud declared eagerly. "I've been having a chat with a 'ham' somewhere along the coast. I'm sure he'll get the evening forecast for me."
As he spoke, Bud dropped his eye on the log where he had made note of the shore "ham's" call and then began to tune for his wave length. To his gratification, he found the fellow busy with his spark and waited till the message was finished; then he threw his aerial switch into sending and lettered the call. The "ham" answered and asked what was wanted.
"I want the weather forecast for to-night," Bud replied. "We're out in a motor boat and want to know if it's safe to stay out till dark."
"I'll get the latest by telephone and call you back in a few minutes," was the operator's generous offer.
Ten minutes later the promised call came, thus:
"Clear to-night. Wind brisk, but not violent."
Cub was listening-in and read this message to his father.
"That means we can go on nearly three hours yet before we have to seek a post for the night," the latter announced.
"Good!" exclaimed Cub. "Now I'm going to test that radio compass and see what may be expected of it in the morning if we don't find Mr. Crusoe to-night, which isn't very likely."
Preparation for the test was simple and quickly made. The loop aerial, a collapsible affair, was set up in the cabin and connected in such manner that it could be used for receiving simultaneously with the use of the outside aerial for sending.
While Cub was thus occupied, Mr. Perry set a hasty supper of prepared foods on the table and "ate a bite". Then he returned to the chart and wheel house and relieved Hal, sending the latter back to the cabin for his meal and for further radio consultation with the other boys.
CHAPTER V
A Baffling Situation
The compass worked admirably. Although the principle of the affair was very simple, Hal must be given credit for having done his work well.
So satisfactory did the device prove from the moment when it began to take messages from the "island prisoner", that all on board the Catwhisker became hopeful of success before sun-down. "V A X" kept a stream of waves leaping from his aerial for their guidance and the motor boat chug-chugged along like a hunting hound made more and more eager by the increasing excitement of the hunt.
"I wonder what's become of the fellow who tried to head us off," remarked Hal as he left the supper table and prepared to relieve Cub at the wireless. "You haven't heard anything from him, have you?"
"No, not a thing all day," Cub replied. "I guess we've tired him out. Did you get anything from him, Bud?"
"Not a shiver of the wires," answered the latter.
"Maybe he's given us up as hopeless easy marks," Cub suggested.
"Why, do you think his story is true and 'Bobby Crusoe' is a fake?" asked Hal.
"I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised to find almost anything--or nothing--as we get near to the end of our hunt."
"But he must be on the island," Bud reasoned. "And he must have a wireless set, or he couldn't have sent the messages we got. That much is certain."
"Not all of it," Hal objected.
"Why?" Bud demanded.
"Maybe he isn't on an island."
"You mean, maybe the whole thing's a fake--eh?"
"Maybe."
"If the whole thing's a fake, then that other fellow who tried to head us off must 'ave been a party to the game," Cub interposed.
"There wouldn't be much sense in that," said Bud.
"I agree with you," Cub continued. "The scrap between those two hams was genuine enough."
"But they were holding something back from us," Hal declared.
"Both of them?" asked Bud.
"I shouldn't be surprised."
"Nor I, either," said Cub.
"Then they've put one over on us,"