Then, when the first greeting was over, he exclaimed. “I’ll say I’ve news for you! Couldn’t guess what ’tis. When we were tinkering around in that old sub, we found a secret compartment—sort of locker—and some darned queer things in it—radio stuff of some sort, I expect. I didn’t show it to any one—not even to our ‘Sparks’ but I’ve got it up at the house. Come on and have a look at it. And I’ve another surprise for you too—but that will keep—that’s for you, Mr. Pauling. Come along.”
Hurrying up the path between the hedges of gay-flowered hibiscus the party entered the building which served Rawlins as den, living place and workshop combined.
The boys were amazed as they glanced about. They had not expected to find anything on the island and here they were surrounded with every comfort. Luxurious wicker-work furniture all about; enlarged photographs-and paintings of scenes from Rawlins’ sub sea films on the walls; rugs of woven grass and matting on the polished floors; a phonograph in one corner and shelves of books.
On a stand at one side of the room was a model of a submarine complete in all its details; there were models of sailing vessels on shelves and freshly cut flowers filled vases and bowls.
“Say, you’ve a regular house here!” cried Tom, “It’s fine!”
“Oh, it’ll do for a hang-out,” replied Rawlins as he began to undo a package, “But you’ll like the studio better. Look here, what do you make of these?”
As he spoke he showed the boys the contents of the package. There were one or two of the single control coils the boys had already seen, a pair of peculiar phone receivers, several beautiful shining crystals, one of which was secured in a metallic stand or ring and an odd affair about two feet in length and three inches in diameter looking like an overgrown walking stick wound with wire and with a sliding ring upon it.
For an instant, the two boys gazed at the collection with puzzled, uncomprehending faces and then, suddenly, a queer look of mingled surprise, delight and understanding swept across Tom’s features.
“Gosh!” he cried, picking up one of the crystals, “Gosh! I’ll bet I do know what these are. Say, they’re those wonderful Rochelle salt crystals I was reading about. Now we will have something worth while! But I can’t imagine what this thing is, it looks like a funny big coil, but whoever saw a coil like it and with this sliding ring on it?”
It was now Frank’s turn to exhibit his knowledge of the latest discoveries in radio. “Hurrah, I know!” he exclaimed. “It’s a resonance coil! Don’t you remember, I was just speaking about it when your father told us to get ready? Say, these things beat loop aerials all to pieces. Why, that magazine said that with one of ’em you could tell where a sending station was and even how far away! It’s an aerial and tuning coil in one. Gee, Tom, we are in luck! If we want to find those chaps now we’ll have a regular cinch!”