Part 14 (2/2)

He's winning d.i.c.k, They got his kick, They think they're slaughtered with a brick!”

And so on for half a dozen or so silly verses of the kind, Gus, meanwhile, suffering both physically and mentally, for being thus tossed about is by no means comfortable, and his modesty was such as to make him want to run and hide.

And then the gang went for Bill, but Doctor Field protected him and they expended their enthusiasm on Captain Siebold, Sadler and little Kerry, the catcher. After which Guilford asked for a return match, but the term was nearly ended and that must go over until next year.

”I wish,” said Bill to Doctor Field, as they journeyed homeward, ”that Tony Sabaste could have been here to see this game.”

CHAPTER XXI

A CLUE

Exams and exercises were over and the students mostly gone. A few remained 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 the professors 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 own meals. As one after another of the lingerers left, the dormitory became quieter, almost oppressively lonesome, to Bill at least, who was social by nature; but Gus, the hermit, rather enjoyed it.

Listening in over the radio was not neglected. It served to cheer the monotony. Not only were the boys alive to the advertised concerts and entertainments, but they caught a tangle of outside waves that was often quite amusing.

Only two more days were required for them to finish their job. They had decided to let their receiver remain, as they were to occupy the same room next term, and now two receivers at home would serve. The loud speaker had been removed, adjustments made, and now Bill sat at the little table with the 'phones clamped on his ears.

Suddenly he called to Gus: ”Get 'em on! Get em' on, quick! Somebody is sending a message out to Marconi--only the end of it now, though.”

”--be most honored, I a.s.sure you,” came through the air. ”Several whom I think you will be glad to meet will be there and we shall be glad to have 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, I shall accept with much pleasure, but please do not put me down for an extended speech. Only a few remarks--probably on my subject. But I shall make no reference to Mars; my interest in that is almost nil. That is a newspaper romance, and I am really getting very tired of being misunderstood. I would be very glad if, in the course of the evening, someone would jestingly refer to this and absolve me from holding such untenable ideas. I thank you. I shall be there.”

”Gee-whiz, Gus, I wonder if the time will ever come when we'll get invitations like that, eh? And say, he doesn't take any stock in that message-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 it has, it is mighty unlikely that any kind of creatures have developed brains enough to understand radio. Shucks! No real scientist will waste his time on any guesswork like that. We want to know more through the telescope first.”

”But maybe the telescope can't tell us--then what? We want to get at it anyway we can, don't we?”

”Oh, I suppose, in any sensible, possible, likely way, but not on such a supposition. It would be like shooting at the moon: _if_ a high-powered gun could get its projectile beyond our attraction of gravitation and _if_ it were aimed right, why, then the shot might hit the mark. Too blamed many 'ifs.' And some of the greatest astronomers say Mars isn't inhab--what's this?”

A very distant, not easily understood voice came to them. There seemed to be some interference which not even their well-made loose coupler could filter out. Apparently there could be nothing very entertaining about this, except the desire to get the better of a difficult task.

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