CHAPTER XVII
THE FERBERTON PRIZE
For several days nothing of special interest happened in Clintonia. Buck Looker made his appearance about the streets, one eye covered by a black patch. This he explained to his cronies by telling them that he wore the patch to keep out the sun, but even they had to take this with a large grain of salt, as Bob's friends took pains to let the real cause of Buck's trouble be known. Buck knew that he was not 'getting away' with his excuse, and the knowledge made him more surly and unpleasant than before. In the course of a few days he was able to discard the patch, but unfortunately he could not discard his mean and revengeful nature so easily, and his mind was continually occupied with plans to "get even."
"We'll put that crowd out of business some way, you see if we don't," said Buck to Carl Lutz.
"I'd like to do it, all right, but I don't see just how we're going to manage it," replied Lutz. "If Bob Layton can lick you, he can lick any of our bunch, so we don't want to get into trouble with them until we've got a sure thing."
Buck agreed heartily with this unsportsmanlike attitude, but had more confidence in fortune.
"Don't worry about that," he said. "We'll get our chance all right! And then won't we rub it into Bob Layton and his crowd!" and his face wore even a more ugly and sinister look than usual.
For the next few days the boys' radio set was in much demand. Of course all their immediate relatives had to listen in, as it is called, and they also invited many of their friends, both boys and girls, to try it.
"Oh, it's too wonderful for anything," declared Joe's sister Rose.
"To think of getting all that music from such a distance!"
"Yes, and that splendid sermon Sunday afternoon!" exclaimed Mrs. Plummer. "I declare, if Dr. Dale doesn't look out they'll make it so nobody will have to go to meeting any more."
"I've certainly got to hand it to you boys," was Doctor Atwood's comment. "I didn't think you could really do it. This radio business is going to change everything. Why, a person living away off in the country can listen in on the finest of concerts, lectures, sermons and everything else. And pick up all the very latest news in the bargain."
One day Bob had to go out of town on an errand for his father and he was allowed to take Joe along. At the out-of-town railroad station they quite unexpectedly ran into Nellie Berwick. The girl had recovered from the shock of the automobile accident but looked much downcast.
"No, I haven't heard from Dan Cassey yet," she said, in reply to a question from Bob.
"Then he didn't come back?" questioned Joe.
"No—or, if he did, he is keeping in hiding. I guess my money is gone," and the girl heaved a deep sigh.
"The rascal, the dirty rascal!" was Bob's comment, after they had left Miss Berwick. "Oh, how I would like to hand him over to the police!"
"Yes, but give him a good licking first," added his chum.
While Buck Looker was still racking his brains for an appropriate form of punishment for Bob and his chums, a most interesting thing happened to the radio boys. The Representative in Congress of the district in which Clintonia was located, Mr. Ferberton, came out with an offer of a prize of one hundred dollars for the best amateur wireless outfit made by any boy in his district, and a second prize of fifty dollars. It was stipulated that the entire set, outside of the head phones, must be made by the boy himself, with out any assistance from grown-ups. A time limit of three weeks was allowed, at the end of which time each set submitted was to be tried out by a committee composed of prominent business men and radio experts, and the prizes awarded to those getting the best results and making the neatest appearance.
It may be imagined what effect this offer had on the four radio boys. The announcement was made at the high school one day, and from that time on the boys were engrossed with the idea of winning the coveted prize.
"Just think of the honor it would be, let alone the hundred dollars," said Bob. "Whoever wins that prize will be known through the entire State."
"I wouldn't care much who got the honor, so long as I got first prize," said Jimmy, avariciously. "What I couldn't do with all that money—yum, yum!"
"Yes, or even fifty dollars wouldn't be anything to sneeze at," said Joe. "I give you fellows notice right here that you'll have to step mighty lively to beat yours truly to one of those fat plums."
"Gee, you'll never have a chance," said Jimmy. "Why, my set will be so good that it will probably win both prizes. Nobody else will have a look in."
"All you'll win will be the nickel plated necktie for trying," said Herb. "If you really want to see the winner of the first prize, just gaze steadily in my direction," and he grinned.
"I'm not saying anything, but that doesn't prove that I'm not thinking a lot," said Bob. "Never leave little Bob Layton out of it when there's a prize hanging around to be picked."
"It would be just like your beastly luck to win it," said Jimmy.
"There won't be much luck about this, I guess," said Joe. "By the time the judges get through picking the winner, the chances are it will take a pretty nifty set to pull down first prize—or second, either, for that matter," he added. "There's a lot of fellows trying for it, I hear."
"Well, as far as we four go, we all start even," continued Bob. "All that we know about radio we learned together, so nobody has a head start on the other."
"That doesn't help me much," said Herb. "What I need is a big head start. I think I'll enjoy myself working the set we have already, and let you fellows slave your heads off trying for prizes. I know I'd never win one in a thousand years, anyway."
"Oh, you might—in a thousand years," put in Jimmy, wickedly; "not any sooner than that, though."
"Oh, who asked you to put in your two cents' worth, you old croaker?" said Herb, giving Jimmy a poke in his well padded ribs. "I'll win that prize just as well by not working as you will by working. You know you're too fat and lazy, to make up a set all by your lonesome."
"I'm not too lazy to try, anyway," returned the fat boy, "and that's more than some people can say."
"He's got you there, Herb," laughed Bob. "Why don't you start in and make a try for it, anyway?"
"Nothing doing," said Herb. "If I took the trouble to make a wireless outfit good enough to cop that prize, I'd expect them to pay me a thousand dollars for it instead of a measly little hundred."
"To hear you talk, anyone would think that hundred dollar bills grew on trees," said Joe. "I'll bet any money you never saw a hundred dollars all at one time, in your life."
"To tell you the truth," said Herb, "I don't really believe there's that much money in the whole world. I must admit I've never seen it, anyway."
"You'll see it when I show it to you," said Jimmy, with more show of confidence, it must be admitted, than he really felt.
"Well, remember we're all pals," said Herb. "If you win that prize,
Jimmy, I get half, don't I?"
"Yes, you don't. I might blow you to an ice cream soda, but outside of that, my boy—nothing doing."
One day the hardware dealer of whom they had purchased their supplies called Bob, Joe and Jimmy into his establishment.
"Got something to show you," he declared importantly. "New box set, just from New York, and sells for only twenty-two fifty. Better than any you can make. Want to try it? There's a concert coming in from Springfield right now."
"Yes, sir, we'd like to try it, and it's good of you to let us," answered Bob. "But we believe in making our own sets. That's more than half the fun."
"Yes, but just wait till you hear this box set," urged the dealer. "Then maybe you'll want to own one. A professional set is always better than an amateur one, you know."
The boys didn't know but they did not say so. They followed the man to a back room of his establishment, where the box set rested on a plain but heavy table.
"There are the ear phones, help yourselves," he said. "I've got to wait on that customer that just came in."
The three radio boys proceeded to make themselves at home around the table. They adjusted the ear phones and listened intently. There was not a sound.
"Guess the concert is over," observed Doughnuts.
"Wait till I make a few adjustments," put in Bob, and proceeded to tune up as best he could. He had been reading his book of instructions carefully of late, so went to work with a good deal of intelligence.
"There it is!" cried Joe, as the music suddenly burst upon their ears.
"Listen, fellows! They are playing Dixie!"
"And it sounds mighty good," added Jimmy enthusiastically.
"But no better than it would on our set at home," put in Bob, quickly.
"Not a bit," added Joe, loyally.
The three lads listened to another selection and then the storekeeper joined them.
"Isn't that grand?" said he. "I'll bet you can't make a box as good as that."
"Maybe we'll make something better," said Bob. "You come up to our place some day and listen to what we have."
"Then you don't think you want a box?" And the shopkeeper's voice indicated his disappointment.
"Not just yet anyway," answered Bob.
"We'd rather buy the parts from you and make our own," added Joe.
"Besides, we want to try for the Ferberton prizes."
"Oh, that's it. Well, when you want anything, come to me," concluded the dealer.