CHAPTER XIV
SCORING A TRIUMPH
When he had gone the boys grinned at one another.
"We're getting to be popular around this place," remarked Bob.
"We sha'n't be quite so popular tomorrow, if the concert broadcastedtonight isn't a good one," said Joe.
"I only wish we could get that loudspeaker to speak just a bitlouder," said Herb. "It's only fair now, and those people will beexpecting a lot, I suppose."
"I was thinking the same thing," remarked Bob. "And if we're willingto pitch in this afternoon, we can improve the strength of our set alot"
The others looked incredulously at him.
"Explain," said Joe. "You've got us guessing, Bob."
"The way we've got our set hooked up now, we're using a loop antenna,aren't we? Well," as the others nodded assent, "why not unwind theloop and string a double aerial on the roof? That would give us a lotmore power, you know."
"Right you are!" exclaimed Joe. "That should make a lot ofdifference."
"But if we do that, we'll have to have a ground, which isn't necessarywith the loop antenna," objected Herb.
"That's true enough," agreed Bob. "But that's easy, after all. We canhook our ground wire to one of the steam radiators."
"Trust Bob to think of everything!" ejaculated Jimmy.
"Bob is thinking that we'd better get busy, then," said thatindividual. "Heave yourself off that nice soft couch, Jimmy, and getyour hat and overcoat on."
Jimmy emitted a dismal groan.
"Have a heart, Bob," he complained. "You know I worked so hard thismorning that I'm all in."
"All right, then, you stay there; but we'll tell Edna and Ruth thatyou refused to help," said Joe, cruelly.
This threat had its effect, and Jimmy struggled to his feet and hadhis outer clothing on almost as soon as the others. It was a beautifulday outside, and after they once got warmed up, they thoroughlyenjoyed the work of stringing the aerial on the roof. They brought theleading-in wire to one of the windows of the hotel parlor. It was notnecessary to insulate this with anything heavier than friction tape,as this was to be only a temporary installation. Before dark they hadeverything ready, and then they went inside, moved their receiving setinto the parlor, and connected it up to the leading-in wire. FollowingBob's suggestion, they attached a ground wire to a radiator, and foundthat everything worked perfectly. As they had anticipated, the signalswere considerably louder, and the old phonograph horn filled the bigroom with a satisfying volume of sound.
During dinner the boys were so excited that they could hardly eat, andimmediately afterward they hurried into the parlor. The guests hadbeen notified of the impending concert, and soon almost everybody inthe hotel had crowded into the room.
The hotel manager made a little speech introducing the boys to thosewho had not already become acquainted with them, and mentioning theconcert that was to come. Then every one waited expectantly for thepromised entertainment.
It proved unnecessary to do much tuning, as the adjustment they hadsecured that afternoon proved to be very nearly correct still.
When the first clear notes floated into the room many of the audiencestraightened up in their chairs, while looks of astonishment passedover their features. At first they were too engrossed with the noveltyof the thing to pay much attention to the music, but gradually thegolden notes wove their magic net and held them all enthralled. Thenight was an ideal one for radiophony, cold and still, with hardly anystatic to annoy. One selection after another came in clear anddistinct, and after each one the audience applauded instinctively,hardly conscious of the fact that upward of one hundred miles of bleakand snow-covered mountains and valleys lay between them and theperformers.
At length, to everybody's regret, the last number was played, and thereceiving set was silent. Not so the audience, however, whooverwhelmed the boys with thanks, and made them promise to entertainthem in a similar manner on other evenings.
After most of the audience had drifted out the Salper girls thankedthe boys prettily for all they had done, and they felt more thanrepaid for the hard work of the day, even Jimmy admitting afterwardthat "it was worth it."
The next day the boys were eager to see Bert Thompson, the radio man,and tell him about their successful experiment, so they set out forthe government station soon after breakfast. It had snowed in theearly morning, but had now stopped, and the air was cold and bracing.
The four lads relieved the monotony of the long walk with, more thanone impromptu exchange of snowballs. It seemed that they had hardlystarted before they had traversed the miles of difficult going andfound themselves in the snug interior of the wireless house.
As they were approaching it, they were astonished to see Mr. Salperemerge, a heavy frown on his usually none-too-cheerful countenance. Heonly nodded to the radio boys in passing, and hurried away through thesnow at a pace of which they would never have believed him capable.
When they entered the station they found Bert Thompson excited andangry. When they opened the door he started up, but when he saw whohis visitors were, sank back in his chair.
"I'm glad it's you fellows!" he exclaimed. "I thought it was that WallStreet man coming back. I'm not sure but I'll throw him out if hedoes. I'd like to, anyhow."
"You are all up in the air," said Bob. "Did you have an argument withMr. Salper?"
"Well, he did most of the arguing," said the other, with a faintsmile. "He's so blamed used to having his own way that if any onedoesn't do just as he wants, he gets mad.
"I suppose I should make allowances for him, because he has plenty toworry him," went on Thompson. "Some of those Wall Street manipulatorsare a ruthless bunch, and when they aren't busy taking money from aninnocent public, they stage some battles between each other. Mr.Salper has an idea that a bunch of them are trying to swing the marketagainst him while he's up here, and he seems to think that this is apublic radio station, with nothing to do but send and receive messagesfor him all day. I'm working for Uncle Sam, not for him."
"Oh, well, don't let him get you all stirred up, anyway," said Bob."He doesn't mean half of what he says. He was real decent last nightwhile we were giving our concert."
"What do you mean, concert?" asked the wireless man. "Are you in theentertainment game now?"
"Something like that," answered Bob, grinning, and then he told theoperator about the concert of the previous evening.
"That's fine," said Thompson heartily, when he had finished. "That wasa good idea, to use a regular aerial instead of the loop. It certainlycatches a lot more."
"Yes, but the loop is mighty handy, just the same," remarked Joe."Especially in a portable set. You can set it up in no time."
"Oh, it's handy, there's no doubt of that," admitted the youngwireless man. "I wish I had been there for the concert. I heard mostof it here, but it must have been fun to watch the faces of theaudience when you started in."
"It was," laughed Herb. "I think that some of them imagined we had aphonograph hidden somewhere because after the concert was over anumber of them looked all around the set as though they were huntingfor something suspicious."
"Likely enough," agreed Thompson. "Some people are mighty hard toconvince."
After some further conversation the boys took their leave, promisingto come again for a longer visit. On the way back the chief topic ofdiscussion was Mr. Salper, and the boys wondered more than once justwhat the nature of the trouble was that caused him to haunt thewireless station and besiege the operator with a flood of messages.