CHAPTER X

  CONVINCING A SKEPTIC

  It was a simple matter for the boys to wind the loop aerial, for theyhad become expert in the manipulation of wire, tape, and the numerousother accessories that go with the art of wireless telephony. Afterthe aerial was completed they unpacked their receiving set and quicklyconnected it up. They worked skillfully and efficiently, and beforethe lunch bell rang at noon they were ready to receive signals.

  But even their enthusiasm was not proof against the seductive summonsof the genial looking old darky who rang the bell, and they washedhastily and started for the dining room at a pace that would havereflected credit on the hungriest boarder who ever lived.

  "Gang way, Bob!" panted Jimmy, as they clattered down the last flightof stairs and dashed for the entrance to the hotel. "I'm hungry, and,therefore, desperate. Get out of the way before I trip over you!"

  "Good night!" shouted Bob. "You're getting too fresh to live, Jimmy,"and he picked up a handful of snow and dropped it carefully and withprecision down Jimmy's fat neck.

  "Ugh!" exclaimed that corpulent youth, stopping short in his wild rushand digging snow from under his collar. "I'll get even with you forthat, Bob, you old hobo. Just you wait!"

  "Can't wait a second," grinned Bob. "I don't want to be late and missall the good things, even if you do."

  "Come on, Doughnuts, don't stand there all day picking snow off you,"entreated Herb. "I can't see where there's any fun in that."

  Jimmy reached down, packed a handful of snow, and sent it flying afterthe others. They were close to the door, however, and ducked inunscathed, while the snowball spread out in a big patch against thedoor casing.

  Jimmy did not allow himself to be delayed very long at any time whenthere was food in prospect, however, and his friends had hardly seatedthemselves at the table when he came in, his collar badly dampened,but his appetite in prime condition. He shook his fist surreptitiouslyat the others, but he was incapable of staying angry long, and wassoon his usual jolly and happy-go-lucky self.

  The snowstorm had stopped during the night, the weather had grownwarmer, and a brilliant sun now shone down on a dazzlingly whiteworld. The snow had come ahead of time, as all the "regulars" at theMountain Rest Hotel united in asserting, and now it gave everyindication of disappearing as fast as it had come.

  The boys wanted to get back to their radio set after dinner, but thesnow looked so inviting that they could not resist the temptation tohave a snow fight. Some of the men, seeing them hard at it, castdignity to the winds and joined them, until quite a miniature battlewas raging. Ammunition was plentiful, and there was a good deal ofshouting and laughter before both sides became tired and agreed tocall it a draw.

  The radio boys were pretty damp with snow water, and their hands werestiff with cold, but trifling discomforts such as these did not botherthem much. They had had a good time, and they knew that there isseldom any fun that does not have its own drawbacks. They went totheir rooms, changed the wettest of their clothing for dry articles,and were soon ready to test their set.

  They were just making a final inspection of their connections when Mr.Layton entered the room, accompanied by two other gentlemen.

  Mr. Layton introduced the two latter as the owners of the store he wasthinking of purchasing.

  "Mr. Blackford and Mr. Robins are rather skeptical about radio,"explained Mr. Layton, when the introductions had been dulyaccomplished. "I happened to mention it this morning, and as they bothseemed to think I was exaggerating its possibilities, I asked themhere to see and hear for themselves."

  "It's no trouble to show goods," said Bob, grinning. "We haven'ttested for signals yet, but the set is all hooked up, and I guess allwe'll have to do is tune up and get about anything you want."

  "You seem pretty confident," remarked one of the two strangers, Mr.Robins. "My opinion is, that this radio stuff is mostly bunk. A friendof mine bought a set just a little while ago, and he couldn't hear athing with it. Paid fifteen dollars for it, too."

  "I shouldn't imagine he could," said Bob, drily. "Mountain Pass mustbe at least a hundred miles from the nearest broadcasting station, andthat set you speak of could never be expected to catch anything morethan twenty-five miles away, at the most."

  "Well, I'll bet dollars to doughnuts you can't hear anything with thatoutfit you've got there, either," broke in the other of the twostrangers.

  "You'd lose your money, Blackford," said Bob's father. "Go ahead andconvince these doubting Thomases, Bob."

  Bob adjusted a headset over his ears and switched on the currentthrough the vacuum bulb filament. Then he manipulated the voltage ofthe "B," or high voltage, dry battery, and also varied the currentflowing through the filament by means of a rheostat connected inseries with it. Almost immediately he caught a far-away sound ofmusic, and by manipulation of the variometer and condenser knobsgradually increased the strength of the sounds.

  Meantime Mr. Layton's two acquaintances had watched proceedings withopen skepticism, and often glanced knowingly at each other. Butsuddenly, as Bob twisted the knob of the variable condenser, the musicbecame so loud that all in the room could hear it, even though theyhad no receivers over their ears.

  "If either of you two gentlemen will put these receivers on, he'll beconvinced that radio is no fake," said Bob quietly, at the same timeremoving his headset and holding it out.

  After a moment's hesitation Mr. Robins donned the receivers, and astartled look came over his face, replacing the incredulous expressionit had worn heretofore.

  "Let's hook up another set of phones, Bob, and let Mr. Blackfordlisten at the same time," suggested Joe.

  This was done, and soon both skeptics were listening to their firstradio concert. Mr. Layton regarded them with an amused smile. Mr.Robins extended his hand curiously toward the condenser knob, andimmediately the music died away. He pulled his hand hastily away, andthe sounds resumed their former volume.

  "Don't be frightened," laughed Mr. Layton. "It won't bite you."

  "But what made it fade away in that fashion?" asked Mr. Robins.

  "Don't ask me," said Bob's father. "I'm not up on radio the way theboys are. I enjoy it, without knowing much of the _modus operandi_."

  "That was caused by what is known as 'body capacity,'" explained Bob."Every human being is more or less of a natural condenser, and whenyou get near the regular condenser in that set, it puts more capacityinto the circuit, and interferes with its balance."

  The other nodded, although in reality he understood very little ofeven this simple explanation. He was too much absorbed in listening towhat was going on in the phones.

  As he listened, he heard the latest stock market quotations given out,among them being the last minute prices of some shares he happened tobe interested in. He slapped his knee enthusiastically, and when thelast quotations had been given, he snatched off the headset and leapedto his feet.

  "I'm converted!" he fairly shouted. "I'll buy this outfit right as itstands for almost any price you fellows want to put on it. What willyou sell it for?"

  The boys were taken aback by this unexpected offer, and all looked atBob expectantly.

  "Why, we hadn't even thought of selling the set," he said slowly. "Wewouldn't sell it right now, at any price, I think. But when we leavehere to go back home, I suppose we might let you have it. How aboutit, fellows?"

  After some argument they agreed to this, but Mr. Robins was sodetermined to have the set that he would not be put off.

  "Now look here," he said. "I'm a business man, and I'll make you abusiness proposition. I'll buy that outfit right now, before I leavethis room, at your own figure. But you fellows can keep it here andhave the use of it just the same as you have now, only it will beunderstood that I'll have the privilege of coming over here once a dayin time to hear those market reports. At the same time you can teachme something about operating the thing. How does that strike you?" andhe threw himself back in his chair and waited for his answer.

 
"We'll have to talk over that offer for a little while," said Bob."Give us ten minutes or so, and we'll give you an answer."

  "That's all right," replied Mr. Robins. "While I'm waiting I'll justput on those ear pieces again and see what's doing."

  The radio boys left the room and held an excited conferencedownstairs. After some discussion they agreed to sell their set, aslong as they could have the use of it during their stay at the resort,but the matter of price proved to be a knotty problem. Bob producedpencil and paper, and they figured the actual cost of the set tothemselves, and then what the same set would have cost if bought readymade in a retail store.

  "The actual material in that set didn't cost us much over fortydollars, but we put a whole lot of time and experience into it," saidBob, "It would cost him close to a hundred to get as good a one in astore."

  "It's a mighty good set, too," said Joe, a note of regret in hisvoice. "We might make another as near like it as possible, and not getnearly as good results."

  "Oh, don't worry. We're some radio builders by this time," Herbreminded him. "Besides, that isn't the only set we've got."

  "Let's ask him eighty dollars," ventured Jimmy. "He'll be getting itcheaper then than he could buy it retail, and we'll be picking up anice piece of change."

  "I think that ought to be about the right figure," agreed Bob. "Doesthat suit this board of directors? Eighty hard, round iron men?"

  The others grinned assent, and they returned to the room where theolder men were still seated about the radio set.

  "Well, what's the verdict?" inquired Mr. Robins, glancing keenly fromone to the other.

  "We've decided to sell," replied Bob. "The price will be eightydollars."

  Without a word Mr. Robins produced a roll of greenbacks, and countedoff the specified amount in crisp bills.

  "You'll want a receipt, won't you, Robins?" inquired Mr. Layton.

  "Not necessary," replied the other. "I've got a hunch that your sonand his friends are on the level and won't try to cheat an old fellowlike me. I'll have to be going now, but I'll be around about the sametime tomorrow morning to get the stock quotations. Coming, Blackford?"