Part 22 (1/2)
Seaton _He_ ought to be on deck, watching this”
The charter-man was speedily up into the open
In theapparatus below, sent the spark leaping across the spark-gap, and, dashi+ng up the aerials, there shot into space the electric waves intended to be gathered in by any other wireless operator within fifty or sixty miles
Crash-sh!+ ass-ss-ssh!+ hissed the spark, bounding, leaping to its work like a thing of al! This last note that cah not loud Whe! A bullet uttered a swift sigh as it sped past the signaling mast twenty feet over the heads of the watchers of the ”Restless”
”Confound it! Rascals on shore are shooting at us,” exclai swiftly to peer at the forest-clad shore line
”No; they're shooting at our aerials!” retorted Captain To! Whe-e! Clash!+ Then there was a metallic clash, for the second rifle shot fro the clustered aerial wires There was a rattle, and sorunt, Hepton bounded down into theup the two rifles
”We h,” warned Mr Seaton ”This ti at us”
”Load and be ready, though!” uttered Captain To at us”
Several more shots clattered out, and twothe aerial wires Then Joe ca up on deck, his eyes full of ire
”The infernal scoundrels have put our spark out of business,” he cried, disgustedly ”We haven't wire enough left to send five miles
Where do the shots come from?”
”From the shore,” Halstead replied, ”but see for yourself if you can locate thesmokeless powder, and are hidden so far in under the trees that we can't even make out the flashes”
”It's out of or ”It's ain”
He vanished, briefly, into thewith a coil of wire and miscellaneous tools
”Good!” coh to repair a dozen smashes, if need be On up with you, Joe I' the slightly projecting footholds placed there for that purpose Toet a clear lead, then started up after his chum
From the shore broke out a rapid, inter full of nal mast
”Co up apprehensively
While Joe kept on clirin
”Killed?” he repeated ”Well, if we're not, we'll fix the aerials We can't allow strangers to put us out of business!”
Joe found his place to go to work Tom halted, with his head on a level with his chum's knees From the shore there came another burst of rifle-fire, and the air about them was sternly melodious with the pest-laden huly struck wires just above Dawson's head