CHAPTER XXII
AT OYSTERMAN DAN'S
It was a good cause, yet the boys were up against a doubtful procedure.The janitor of the school was a good-natured, but stubborn chap. Heliked Bill and Gus, but they knew he would never let them take anythingfrom the buildings without special consent. And while there was no timeto get this permission, Bill and Gus knew that all concerned would be infavor of their motive. If they injured anything they knew they wouldmore than make it good; or that Mr. Sabaste would make it good. Even Mr.Hooper would, if called on.
So they wrote a note to Mr. Hooper, explaining fully what they intendeddoing and requesting that he reimburse the school for any loss or injuryto the broadcasting instrument in case anything happened to both ofthem. Then they placed this letter where it would be found in theirroom, with a request to the finder to deliver it.
The janitor, they knew, was a bug on fishing. Bill coaxed him to take aday off while they watched the place. He did this, and while Mrs. Roycewas strenuously engaged with her housework, the boys got the keys to theradio room. The rest was easy, even to fixing up camouflaged parts thatwould befool Mr. Royce, if he should enter the room. They got theapparatus in parts to their own room, where they packed it up, and Gusclimbed into Tompkins' room through the transom, handed out the portableset and got out the way he got in.
The next day, again sending for Mr. Merritt and his taxi, they were ontheir way to the station at Guilford, and from there by train to theshore, Gus debouching at a convenient junction for a two-hour trip home,while Bill patiently waited. When Gus got back to the junction he hadthe shotgun and some old clothes for both, though Bill might have noneed to disguise.
Reaching the terminus of the railroad, the boys hired a ratherdilapidated team of mules drawing a farm wagon, with youthful driver tomatch, and made a long, slow journey, especially tiresome to theseeager, expectant lads, that landed them by the most direct route atOysterman Dan's little cottage.
The old fellow came out and was so delighted to see Gus that he gave himand Bill a real welcome. He was a bachelor who lived alone, but livedwell. He kept to himself and yet was not averse to having a littlecompany of his own choosing. Apparently he would not have wanted moreentertaining fellows than Bill and Gus, or better listeners, for heliked to spin yarns. When he found the boys insisted upon paying him forboard and lodging and certain privileges he was further pleased. Letthem put up "one o' them thar wirelesses?" He sure would and welcome. Itwould be a "heap o' fun," and when they told him of the purpose of it hewas elated.
Nothing could have been more characteristic of the imagination andoptimism of youth than the making of all these extensive preparations onthe merest guesswork, and after the boys had arrived on the scene, nothalf a mile from Lower Gifford's Point, doubts began to assail Bill withmuch force.
"By jingo, Gus! Here we are, at considerable expense and a deal oftrouble, taking it for granted that we're going to do wonderful things,and we even don't know that the theory we are working on is worth ablamed thing."
"Oh, yes; we do," said the intuitive Gus, who, looking like a woebegoneswamp dweller, had just come in from the dunes. "And soon we'll know awhole lot more. I just saw two gunners in the woods above the point, andif they aren't Italians I don't know one."
The boys were a long day putting up their transmitting instrument, withits extensive aerial stretched between tall pines near the cottage.They would depend on the portable receiver.
And then, leaving Bill listening, poring over books, or chatting withold Dan, when the latter was off the water, Gus got into his ragged togsagain, took his gun and started out prowling. And he prowled wisely andwell.