Talking It Over
What could the fellows say?
They couldn't say anything at first, so astonished were they at the
announcement from Cub. Then so great was their eagerness, following the
recovery from their astonishment that about all they could do was to
"fall over each other" in their efforts to express their approval.
At last, however, the "panic of joy" subsided, and they began to sift out
the obstacles that must naturally obtrude themselves in the way of such a
scheme that involved such departure from the ordinary course of events.
"Do you think your father will let us go?" asked Hal somewhat
apprehensively.
"We've taken trips alone before," Cub reminded.
"Yes, but only for short trips along the shore or up the canal," Hal
replied. "Ontario's a rough lake, you know."
"Yes, but safe enough if you're used to it," Bud reasoned, coming to the
aid of his lanky friend. "If necessary, we could follow the bend of the
shore all the way and never get out of sight of land."
"That would make the trip longer and consequently take so much more time
to get there," reasoned Cub.
"Time's precious in a case like this," Hal averred. "Remember that we
must get up there in time to save a fellow with no food on hand from
getting an empty stomach."
"How long would the trip take?" asked Bud.
"Well, let's see," said Cub, picking up a pencil and beginning to figure
on a tab of paper before him. "The Catwhisker can make twelve miles an
hour under favorable conditions. We could start early in the morning and
reach the Thousand Islands surely by noon, and then have the rest of the
day to hunt for Mr. Robinson Crusoe."
"It might be like hunting for a needle in a haystack," suggested Hal
dubiously.
"Why shouldn't we be able to find him?" Cub demanded.
"It depends on how well Mr. Crusoe can describe his surroundings for us
and how well we can follow directions," Hal argued.
"That's true enough," Cub admitted. "Let's see if I can get 'im again and
what he can tell us."
He had no difficulty in picking up the "desperate Mr. Crusoe" again, for
the latter proved to be "sparking" the ether with frantic calls in search
of the radio boy on whom he believed he had made a serious impression,
but who seemed, for some unhappy reason, to have forgotten him.
"I was just discussing your case with a couple of friends," Cub
explained. "We thought we might make a run down your way in a motor boat
if you could give us a clear idea where your island is located."
"I can't give you any latitude and longitude," was the "islander's"
reply. "I was captured in my motor boat only a mile or two away from
home. Then I was blindfolded and put here on this island by the rascals.
It's a small wooded island surrounded by several other small wooded
islands, making it impossible for me to hail passing boats. I will be
glad to pay your expenses and enough more to make it worth your while if
you will find me and get me away from here."
"I don't know how we'd find you without cruising among the
Thousand Islands a week or two," returned Cub. "Have you a flag of
distress flying?"
"It wouldn't do any good. Nobody would see it."
"Oh, I have an idea!" suddenly exclaimed Hal, for he and Bud had put
their receivers back on their ears when Cub began to communicate with
"Mr. Crusoe" once more.
"Hold the wireless while I talk with my friends," Cub directed to the
fellow "at the other end of the ether". Then he removed the phones from
his ears, and the other boys did likewise.
"Well, what's your idea, Tee-hee?" the operator demanded with something
of a tone of business challenge.
"Why, all we need is a radio compass," Hal replied. "You know I made one
last summer, although I didn't have much use for it. We can install it on
the boat and make a bee line for that fellow's island if he keeps his
spark busy to guide us."
"Good!" exclaimed Bud. "That'll settle the biggest problem before us."
"Yes," Cub agreed. "You're a regular Thomas Edison, Jr., Tee-hee. I think
we'll have to elect you captain of this expedition."
"If we make it," Bud conditioned with a slightly skeptical grin.
"My opinion, if it's worth anything to you guys," said Cub; "is that we'd
better map out our plan thoroughly before we say anything about it to our
fathers. Then we can put our arguments in convincing manner."
"We must finish our plan to-night, for we ought to start not later than
Wednesday morning," Bud argued. "That'll give us one day to get ready
in."
"We'll need all that," said Hal. "Now, let's get busy, boys, and see how
near our plan is finished. It's after 10 o'clock, and I'll have to go
pretty soon. If we go, we'll need--"
"Some food," itemized Bud.
"Yes, enough for us and to feed a starving Robinson Crusoe," amended Cub,
beginning the list on a fresh sheet of paper.
"And drinking water."
"No. 2," commented Cub, as he jotted it down.
"And we ought to have a wireless set on hand," Hal suggested.
"Sure," said Cub. "You bring that and your loop aerial. This set is too
big to transfer on board very well."
"That about completes the list, doesn't it?" asked Bud.
"We'll have to have a permit," said Hal.
"Permit for what?" Bud inquired.
"A permit from Mr. Perry to go."
"You're kidding now," said Bud. "Maybe you think this is all a joke."
"I'm afraid it is, but I'll eat my words--and glad to do it--if Cub's
father and our fathers let us go."
"We've all got some persuading to do, there's no doubt o' that," Cub
admitted; "but I hope we'll succeed. I'll talk to father in the morning
at the breakfast table and call you fellows up an' let you know what he
says. Now I'll call Mr. Robinson Crusoe again and tell 'im I'll call 'im
in the morning and let 'im know what we can do."
He had no difficulty in getting the "island prisoner" again, for the
latter was waiting eagerly for a message of hope. Cub, however, was
cautious in this regard, saying nothing about the plan of himself and his
two radio friends. He merely told "Mr. Crusoe" that he would do the best
he could for him and would call him next day, specifying the hour. Then
Bud and Hal went their separate ways homeward.
At 8:30 next morning Cub called Hal on the telephone and inquired:
"Hello, Hal, did you talk to your folks about our plan?"
"Yes," was the reply; "and I just got through talking with Bud over the
wire before you called up."
"Well, how does it stand?"
"His folks won't let him go and my folks won't let me go unless some
experienced man goes along with us."
"Hooray! we win!" yelled Cub. "Father thinks it's a peach of an adventure
and he's almost as crazy over it as we were last night. He says 'yes'
with a capital Y, and he'll go along with us. He says he's been wanting a
vacation with some pep in it for quite a while, and this scheme of ours
is ninety-nine per cent pep. If you and Bud don't go, father and I are
going anyway. So get busy as fast as you can. We're off this afternoon,
as early as we can get ready. I've already sent a wireless to Crusoe that
we're coming. Good-bye; I'm going to call Bud now. Be over here as soon
as you can and help us get ready."