The Catwhisker
The Catwhisker, a neat gasoline power boat of the cruiser type left the
private dock of the Perry home in Oswego early in the afternoon with the
three radio boys and Mr. Perry on board. This had meant some rapid work
by the members of the "rescue party" in preparation for the trip, for it
was necessary for them to do considerable buying in the line of
provisions and the transportation of a number of articles of incidental
convenience, together with one complete sending and receiving wireless
outfit. The hook-up of this outfit, on the boat, however, was left for a
more leisurely occupation after all other preparations for the cruise
were completed and they were well on their way.
The name Catwhisker harked back to the days when radio, or wireless
telegraphy, was in its infancy in the experience of the three boys whose
adventures are the inspiration of this volume. Mr. Perry bought the motor
boat at a time when his son and the latter's two chums were busy
experimenting with crystal outfits, and the name of the cruiser was
suggested to them by the fine spring-wires used to make contact with the
crystals in their detectors. No doubt, it was the catchiness of the word,
as well as its association with their hobby, that appealed to them in the
general search for a name for the boat.
This vessel was 36 feet long, with a beam of nine feet and with a canopy
covering the after deck. Amidships was a raised bridge deck on which were
mounted and housed the wheel and engine controls. Under this and the
after deck were the engine-room and the galley, and forward of these were
the cabin and two small staterooms. At the bow and in the stern were two
tall slim masts that had been erected solely for the extension of a radio
aerial. The hull was painted white with a blue stripe midway between the
bridge-deck level and the water line.
Cub and his father were real chums in matters of boating. Mr. Perry,
although ordinarily a man of very neat appearance, on the present
occasion had discarded his usual sartorial excellence and appeared on the
Catwhisker in clothes easily associated with cotton waste and oil cans.
Indeed, he could take care of the engine quite as well as his son, who
was an amateur expert, and seemed to enjoy discharging his full share, of
all the "overall and apron tasks" on board.
Mr. Perry took charge of the wheel and engine controls of the yacht at
the beginning of the cruise, so that his son and the other two boys were
left free to perfect the hook-up of the radio set supplied by Hal. First,
two wires, attached to spreaders at both ends, were extended between the
two masts for an aerial, and a lead-in was arranged through one of the
windows of the cabin. On a fixed table near this window they anchored
firmly the various portions of Hal's sending and receiving set, in order
that these might not be thrown down and damaged if the lake should become
rough. As the apparatus was supplied with two steps of amplification, Hal
had brought also a loud-tone horn to facilitate occasional parlor
entertainment should they have leisure to listen-in to programs from
various broadcasting stations within their receiving range in the course
of their cruise.
Hal's outfit was by no means as elaborate or as expensive as was Cub's,
but it was sufficient to receive radiophone programs, under favorable
conditions, from the strongest stations 300 or 400 miles distant, while
the strong spark of his code transmitter had earned for him a wide
acquaintance in amateur circles.
Before they started, Cub had another dot-and-dash tete-a-tete with "Mr.
Crusoe", acquainting the latter with the latest developments of their
plan and requesting him to call the Catwhisker regularly at half-hour
intervals if the more limited set they would take with them proved
insufficient to reach him from the start.
"When we reach the Thousand Islands, we will get busy with our loop
aerial and find you by radio compass," he promised.
The mysterious intermeddler who professed to have a sporting wager with
the "island prisoner," was on hand with a machine-gun stream derisive
waves, but Cub refused to pay any attention to him, not that he regarded
that fellow's version of the affair as utterly unworthy of consideration,
but, for the time being, at least, he did not wish to believe it. He was
eager for the adventure, which might be spoiled if his father became
convinced that "Mr. Crusoe's" SOS was a gambling hoax.
The boys took regular turns at the radio table in the cabin that
afternoon and found the occupation of listening-in much more interesting
than it had been at their homes, not because of any particular difference
in the messages, but because of the more romantic character of their new
motives and surroundings. Even the multitude of static interferences that
swarmed the atmosphere on this, the first oppressively hot day of the
season, were combatted with tuning coil, condenser, and detector, so
confidently, although with poor success, that Mr. Perry pronounced them
all "princes of patience".
In other words, the boys were in the best of spirits, all handicaps
notwithstanding. Cub's father had not taken his first lesson in wireless
telegraphy, and so left the radio field entirely to the three young
amateur experts. In spite of the heat, they were able to get a more or
less broken message now and then from the "island prisoner", but could
get no acknowledgment of receipt of messages sent by them until about
supper time.
"If it weren't for this heat, we probably could 'ave got a message to him
as we were leaving Oswego," Cub remarked to Bud after they had been on
the lake about two hours.
"The atmosphere is the worst I've ever known it to be," returned Bud, who
had been laboring hard with key and spark for some time. "If it don't
clear up, we may not be able to begin our hunt for him before morning."
"Well, we'll go along until half an hour before dark, I suppose, and then
find a place to tie up till morning," said Cub.
He consulted his father on the subject, and the latter indorsed the plan.
The lake was rather choppy, in spite of the calmness of the day;
consequently, the Catwhisker was unable to make a record run to the head
of the St. Lawrence River. Ontario is not a placid lake, although it has
not the heavy roughness that characterizes Lake Huron. A strong current
is driven through its middle by the flood of the upper lakes after its
plunge over Niagara Falls, and along the shores is a back-sweep of eddies
and swirls. Hence the pilots and shippers of small boats on the lake, if
they are wise, keep their weather eyes well peeled for any disturbance
that may augment the natural roughness of this body of water.
Mr. Perry and his three boy companions were all well aware of the wisdom
of weather caution while cruising in the Catwhisker. In the morning
before starting, they had consulted the Government forecast and found the
outlook favorable, but they were well aware of the fact that absolute
dependence should not be put upon even so learned a being as a Great
Lakes weather man.
Bud made the first score in the frequent attempts to get a message to the
"island prisoner". Conditions in the ether became much better toward
evening when a cool wind began to blow. Just before sending the message
that reached its goal, Bud received the following from VAX:
"Where are you? Can't you reach me? Nobody in sight yet. Ate my last
crust of bread an hour ago. Have to drink lake water to keep alive. Try
again to get a message to me."
Bud tried again and received the following reply:
"Got you faintly. Try again. Where are you?"
But fifteen minutes elapsed before the boy at the key was able to score
again. After that, however, they had no difficulty in reaching "Crusoe
island" with key and spark.
Then arose the question as to whether they should attempt to find the
"radio Crusoe's" island that evening or should seek a suitable mooring
place and postpone the search until morning.
"There's one matter to be taken up before we decide to go much further
to-night," said Mr. Perry, who had just turned the wheel over to Hal and
joined the conference in the cabin.
"What's that?" asked Cub.
"The weather. We're right at the beginning of the Thousand Isles now, but
we can have a nasty time of it anywhere in the upper part of the river in
a storm. The wind is getting pretty lively, and you know how much the
temperature has dropped."
"Oh, I can take care of that," Bud declared eagerly. "I've been having a
chat with a 'ham' somewhere along the coast. I'm sure he'll get the
evening forecast for me."
As he spoke, Bud dropped his eye on the log where he had made note of the
shore "ham's" call and then began to tune for his wave length. To his
gratification, he found the fellow busy with his spark and waited till
the message was finished; then he threw his aerial switch into sending
and lettered the call. The "ham" answered and asked what was wanted.
"I want the weather forecast for to-night," Bud replied. "We're out in a
motor boat and want to know if it's safe to stay out till dark."
"I'll get the latest by telephone and call you back in a few minutes,"
was the operator's generous offer.
Ten minutes later the promised call came, thus:
"Clear to-night. Wind brisk, but not violent."
Cub was listening-in and read this message to his father.
"That means we can go on nearly three hours yet before we have to seek a
post for the night," the latter announced.
"Good!" exclaimed Cub. "Now I'm going to test that radio compass and see
what may be expected of it in the morning if we don't find Mr. Crusoe
to-night, which isn't very likely."
Preparation for the test was simple and quickly made. The loop aerial, a
collapsible affair, was set up in the cabin and connected in such manner
that it could be used for receiving simultaneously with the use of the
outside aerial for sending.
While Cub was thus occupied, Mr. Perry set a hasty supper of prepared
foods on the table and "ate a bite". Then he returned to the chart and
wheel house and relieved Hal, sending the latter back to the cabin for
his meal and for further radio consultation with the other boys.