The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border | Page 6

their elbows on the top
of it. This room, by the way, deserves a brief description.
It was circular and without windows. The walls were hung with a
material resembling burlap in appearance, but of special construction
and sound-proof. The ceiling was nine feet high. From a point six feet
up the walls material like that in the walls stretched to a point in the
middle of the ceiling. The room had somewhat the appearance of the
interior of a small circus tent. This construction was for the purpose of
increasing the acoustic properties.
While Mr. Temple conversed with Mr. Hampton, in whose oil
operations he naturally was interested, as he had invested a
considerable sum in them, the boys talked in whispers. They were
frankly envious of Jack's adventures and wishing that they, too, were
on the ground. Suddenly, something said by his father caught Bob's
attention, and he stopped talking to Frank and turned to listen.
"Well, I'll tell you, Hampton," Bob heard his father say, "I've got a
sharp attack of spring fever. I think I need a vacation. And if these two
youngsters of mine will let me go along, I'll come out with them."
Bob couldn't control his eagerness. Going up to his father's side, he
pulled insistently at his sleeve.
"Wait a minute, Hampton," said Mr. Temple. "Bob has something on
his mind." He removed the receiver and regarded his son with a twinkle.
"Out with it," he said. "I suppose that quite shamelessly you've been
listening to my conversation."
"No, Dad, Honest Injun," protested Bob. "Only I couldn't help

overhearing that part about you going with us. Say, Dad, we'll go by
airplane, won't we?"
Mr. Temple groaned in mock dismay. "Run along," he said. "You'll
drive me crazy with that airplane business." Then, once more adjusting
his headpiece, he resumed his interrupted conversation with Mr.
Hampton.
Bob returned to Frank, wearing a wide grin. "I couldn't resist putting
over that piece of propaganda," he said.
"Do you think he'll let us fly?" whispered Frank.
"Say," answered Bob scornfully, "now that Dad has decided to go
along, it's a cinch. He's as crazy about flying as Mr. Hampton is about
the radiophone."
"Ssst. Ssst," came a warning whisper, interrupting them. They swung
about to face the door into the power house. It was part-way open and
the round good-natured face of Tom Barnum, filled now with anxiety,
was framed in the opening. Tom was the mechanic-watchman. He
beckoned, and the boys tiptoed across the room and into the power
house, closing the door behind them. Old Davey, caretaker at the
Hampton home, stood there, wringing his hands.
"What is it? What's the matter?" Frank Merrick asked sharply.
"Old Davey says there's a thief up at the house," said Tom.
"A thief?" said Bob. "How do you know?"
"Seed him myself with my own two eyes," quavered Old Davey, a little
old man who was a pensioner of Mr. Hampton's. "He's a big dark
ugly-lookin' feller. I seed him a-sneakin' into the house through the
cellar door I left open to git out some garden tools."
"Then what did you do?" asked Frank.
"I run," said Old Davey, simply. "Leastways I tried to, but my legs ain't

what they used to be."
"Come on, Bob," said Frank, impulsively. "Let's go see."
"Not till we tell Dad, first," said Bob, as always the cooler.
Re-entering the sending room, Bob once more gained the attention of
his father, who still was in conversation with Mr. Hampton. He told
him what Old Davey had reported. Mr. Temple readjusted the
headpiece and swung about to the transmitter.
"Anything in your house a fellow could carry off in a pocket,
Hampton?" he said. "Because the boys tell me there is a thief in it right
now, and we're going up to try to catch him."
"I don't think so," said Mr. Hampton, and then added in a tone of alarm:
"Great guns, Temple, yes. There is. There's a duplicate list among my
papers that the Octopus would give anything to obtain possession of.
It's a list of the lessees out here in the oil fields who have joined the
independents."
"All right, Hampton," said Mr. Temple, "we're off."
Removing the headpiece, he hurried Bob back into the power house.
There he ordered Tom to switch off the motor, lock up and follow them.
Then accompanied by the boys and with Old Davey trotting alongside
to keep up, he started in swift strides for the Hampton house, which
could be seen above the intervening tree tops, about a quarter of a mile
away.
"I thought you came out from town for a little peace and quiet, Dad,"
said Bob. "You're certainly getting it, aren't you? Hey. There he goes."
And with a