CHAPTER XXI
A CLUE
Exams and exercises were over and the students mostly gone. A fewremained to brush up on studies, or to complete work begun in the shop.Bill and Gus were among these. They had an order from one of theprofessors for a very fine radio receiver and it was not quite finished.The matron and cooks had vanished and the boys had to get their ownmeals. As one after another of the lingerers left, the dormitory becamequieter, almost oppressively lonesome, to Bill at least, who was socialby nature; but Gus, the hermit, rather enjoyed it.
Listening in over the radio was not neglected. It served to cheer themonotony. Not only were the boys alive to the advertised concerts andentertainments, but they caught a tangle of outside waves that was oftenquite amusing.
Only two more days were required for them to finish their job. They haddecided to let their receiver remain, as they were to occupy the sameroom next term, and now two receivers at home would serve. The loudspeaker had been removed, adjustments made, and now Bill sat at thelittle table with the 'phones clamped on his ears.
Suddenly he called to Gus: "Get 'em on! Get em' on, quick! Somebody issending a message out to Marconi--only the end of it now, though."
"--be most honored, I assure you," came through the air. "Several whom Ithink you will be glad to meet will be there and we shall be glad tohave a word from you." There was a pause.
"It's an invitation to a banquet, or something," Gus said.
"Sure. I wonder if he's going to accept." This from Bill.
"When did he come back? I thought he sailed away last fall."
"Been back a week; read it in the paper. He's on his boat again, the_El_--listen! He's talking."
"Marconi speaking. Gentlemen of the Society of Electrical Research, Ishall accept with much pleasure, but please do not put me down for anextended speech. Only a few remarks--probably on my subject. But I shallmake no reference to Mars; my interest in that is almost nil. That is anewspaper romance, and I am really getting very tired of beingmisunderstood. I would be very glad if, in the course of the evening,someone would jestingly refer to this and absolve me from holding suchuntenable ideas. I thank you. I shall be there."
"Gee-whiz, Gus, I wonder if the time will ever come when we'll getinvitations like that, eh? And say, he doesn't take any stock in thatmessage-from-Mars foolishness."
"Well, I guess it's silly, all right," Gus agreed.
"Why, sure. They can't even tell if Mars has any life on it, and if ithas, it is mighty unlikely that any kind of creatures have developedbrains enough to understand radio. Shucks! No real scientist will wastehis time on any guesswork like that. We want to know more through thetelescope first."
"But maybe the telescope can't tell us--then what? We want to get at itanyway we can, don't we?"
"Oh, I suppose, in any sensible, possible, likely way, but not on such asupposition. It would be like shooting at the moon: _if_ a high-poweredgun could get its projectile beyond our attraction of gravitation and_if_ it were aimed right, why, then the shot might hit the mark. Tooblamed many 'ifs.' And some of the greatest astronomers say Mars isn'tinhab--what's this?"
A very distant, not easily understood voice came to them. There seemedto be some interference which not even their well-made loose couplercould filter out. Apparently there could be nothing very entertainingabout this, except the desire to get the better of a difficult task.
"-- Atlantic. Latitude 39 -- -- -- chased her, but -- lost --. The fogwas -- -- --. On board, when start -- -- transferred, we think. Headedwest. Got a radio from the Government tug Nev -- --. Think it must havebeen the same. Putting in toward Point Gifford, they said --. Think theyhave landed by now. Better opportunity to demand ransom from the --.Italian all right; sure of that. -- The banker will -- -- -- -- --. Soyou be -- -- -- --."
The voice died away; a few clickings came and then silence. Bill turnedto Gus. In matters of jumping at conclusions, he had long learned todepend most on his chum's undoubted talents, just as Gus, in most thingsmental, played second fiddle to Bill.
"Say, Gus, could it be--?" Bill whispered.
"Sure is! Nothing else. Ransom, banker, Italian."
Gus felt no uncertainty. "They're after them, sure. Mr. Sabaste has hadthe hunt kept up on land and sea--we know that. And this is just aclue--an attempt to get on the trail again. Point Gifford--Bill, I knowthat country. Went all along the coast there once with Uncle Bob. Youremember when? He was cutting timber down in the coast swamps. Iexplored--great place for that! Sand dunes, pines, inlets; awfully wild.Some old cabins here and there."
"They're landing there. Gus, I'll bet they're going to bring--do youthink it can be Tony, Gus?"
"Who else? They're trying to make Mr. Sabaste pay a ransom and they'regoing to be in a place where they can make sure of getting it. What Tonysaid about the Malatesta bunch being short of money must be true, and Iguess that restaurant business made it worse. They're going to try tomake a pretty sure thing----"
"But Gus, this radio was intended for somebody on shore who will watchthem and maybe nab them."
"No, indeed. They're not likely to nab them. They have already landed,you see, and the detectives will watch the Upper Point, which is theonly landing place. But if these chaps are foxy, they will come to theLower Point, ten miles south, and cut across the inlet and thethoroughfare in a small boat. Then their yacht, or whatever she is, willsail up past the Upper Point, put to sea and the detectives will thinkshe has given up the idea of landing. I rather think I'm on to whattheir scheme will be. An old oysterman showed me what some smugglersdid, and got away with it for a long time. I guess the state policenever have got on to this."
"Well, then, Gus, it's up to us to tell----"
"With several thousand dollars to save for Tony's dad? And who wouldbelieve a couple of kids, anyway?" demanded Gus.
"But how----?"
"Let them watch the Upper Point, and if they land there, all right. I'mgoing down to hunt over the Lower Point."
"You, Gus? But these fellows are a bunch of desperate scamps; gunmen, nodoubt. There'll be a lot of them, maybe----"
"No; not more than two or three. Luigi Malatesta, his brother, I thinkfrom Merritt's description, and an accomplice or two."
"Four, Gus; maybe more. You wouldn't have a chance----"
"Well, not in a stand-up fight, I suppose. But they won't be suspectinga kid in old fisherman's duds, and I can do some bushwhacking, I guess."
"But if you get hurt, Gus?"
"Well, there's a lot more like me everywhere. Another brother at home,too. I'm going to try for it, Bill. I'm not going to tote a pistol, buttake Dad's hammerless, double-barreled shotgun. He has quit hunting, andhe said I could have it. They'll think I'm just a native."
"But where are you going to hang out? Your Uncle Bob isn't there anymore."
"With old Dan, the oysterman. He'll be tickled, I think, and I'll pay myway."
"Don't get hurt, old fellow. I wish I could go with you."
"You bet I wish you could, Bill. But you pick up what you can and maybeyou'll have a chance to get it to me in some way."
"Oh, Gus, I know a scheme: That portable set we made Tompkins--it's inhis room. He would be tickled, for he liked Tony, and he has gone toSaranac Lake. They've got one up there, so he didn't take this. We'llget in his room and get it for you to take along. Then I'll stay here,glue my ear to the phones and radio you everything I know, for they areall away, and I can use their transmitter."
"Portable idea is fine, Bill, but all the rest is bunk. What, really,can you do here?"
"Well, then, I know: We'll swipe the keys, unhook the schooltransmitting set and I'll go with you and set it up at Oysterman Dan's.Then we can work together."
"Fine! But how about the license?"
"Got one. Merely change of locality, and my own license will let meoperate anywhere. Let's get busy."
Radio Boys Loyalty; Or, Bill Brown Listens In Page 21