[CHAPTER XXII—PUTTING IT THROUGH]
The boys stared at him for a moment as though he had gone suddenly crazy. Then the light of adventure dawned in their eyes, and they grinned joyously.
“Say, old boy,” said Joe in an awed voice, “that sure is some swell idea. But do you think we could swing it? We know a lot about receiving, but when it comes to sending——”
“We’re a bunch of nuts,” finished Jimmy, decidedly.
“Maybe,” retorted Bob. “But at this time, even a bunch of nuts might be better than nothing.”
“We’ve been studying the code,” said Joe thoughtfully. “We might be able to handle it all right. It isn’t the first time, if we’re not experts. Of course we can do it.”
“But not for old Salper,” said Herb. “He’s so impatient he’d make us forget in five minutes everything we ever knew.”
“Maybe,” said Bob again, adding, stoutly: “But I’m game to make a try at it anyway. There’s no one else to do it, and Mr. Salper stands to lose his wife and a lot of money besides if some one doesn’t help him out.”
“Well, let’s make him the proposition,” suggested Joe, pausing and looking back at the Salper house. “I’m with Bob in this thing.”
“So say we all of us,” sang Herb cheerily, as they turned back.