Part 24 (1/2)

”We're a bunch of nuts,” finished Jimmy, decidedly.

”Maybe,” retorted Bob. ”But at this time, even a bunch of nuts might be better than nothing.”

”We've been studying the code,” said Joe thoughtfully. ”We might be able to handle it all right. It isn't the first time, if we're not experts. Of course we can do it.”

”But not for old Salper,” said Herb. ”He's so impatient he'd make us forget in five minutes everything we ever knew.”

”Maybe,” said Bob again, adding, stoutly: ”But I'm game to make a try at it anyway. There's no one else to do it, and Mr. Salper stands to lose his wife and a lot of money besides if some one doesn't help him out.”

”Well, let's make him the proposition,” suggested Joe, pausing and looking back at the Salper house. ”I'm with Bob in this thing.”

”So say we all of us,” sang Herb cheerily, as they turned back.

”So long as Bob's the goat,” finished Jimmy.

They found Mr. Salper in the living room of the bungalow, savagely smoking a cigar. He scarcely looked at the boys when the girls let them in, and Bob was forced to speak his name before he gave them his attention.

”Well, what is it?” he said gruffly, his tone adding plainly: ”What are you doing here anyway? I wish you'd get out.”

The tone made Bob mad, as it did the other boys, and when he spoke his own tone was not as pleasant as usual.

”We've decided to try to help you out, if we can, Mr. Salper,” he said, and the man looked at him with a mixture of surprise and incredulity.

”In what way?” he asked, in the same curt tone.

”We know something about sending and receiving messages by radio,” Bob went on, getting madder and madder. ”And we thought maybe we might get a message through for you to a doctor and to your brokers, as well. Of course,” he added, modestly, ”we haven't had very much experience----”

Bob was too modest to say anything about how he had once sent messages to some s.h.i.+ps at sea, (as related in detail in ”The Radio Boys at Ocean Point,”) and how he had tried to send on other occasions.

”Experience be hanged!” cried Mr. Salper, so suddenly that the boys jumped. ”You mean to tell me you can operate that radio contraption?”

”I think so,” said Bob, still modestly. ”We haven't done much along that end of it----”

”You'll do,” cried Mr. Salper, while Edna and Ruth stared at him with tear-reddened eyes. ”Are you ready to go with me right away to the station?”

The boys nodded and the older man shrugged into his great coat, reaching quickly for his cap.

”Take care of your mother,” he said to the girls. ”I'll stop on my way over to the hotel and send a nurse over for her. I hear there are two of them there. Don't see why the physician there didn't send some one to take his place if he had to leave.”

In a moment the radio boys found themselves once more in the freezing air of the out-of-doors, being hurried along by the erratic Mr.

Salper.

Poor Jimmy suffered on that forced march. Although he uttered no word of protest, his face was purple and his breath came in little puffing gasps before they had reached the hotel.

Once there, they had a little respite, however, while Mr. Salper went to arrange about having a nurse sent over to his wife. Jimmy waited in the hotel lobby in a state nearing collapse while the other boys went up to inquire once more about their friend, the operator.

They found him no better--worse, if anything--and their faces were very solemn when they rejoined Jimmy in the lobby.

”Guess it will be nip and tuck if he gets through at all,” said Bob, anxiously. ”I don't see why such hard luck had to pick him out for the victim.”

”I suppose they'll appoint another operator right away,” suggested Herb.