“Sure it will work,” asserted Bob, before Jimmy could involve himself again. “That is, you’ll hear music, all right, but it probably won’t be very loud, even with the help of the horn. We’re a long way from the broadcasting station, you know. If we were within ten or fifteen miles of it, I’d say surely that it would be a success.”
“I’ll go and get the loop aerial, Bob, and we can test it right now,” suggested Joe. “What do you think?”
Bob nodded, and Joe left the room, returning a few minutes later with the loop. This was soon connected with the set, and then Bob began tuning for signals.
“Mercy! what was that?” exclaimed Edna, while Ruth gave a little scream.
From the horn came an ear-piercing howl, followed by whistles and weird unearthly shrieks. But the boys only laughed heartily at the girls.
“That’s nothing but old man static,” said Bob. “We’ll soon get him off the wires.”
“Does he live near here?” asked Ruth, innocently.
“Wow!” shouted Herb, and the boys could not help laughing, although they stopped as soon as they saw the mystified and somewhat hurt expression in the girl’s eyes.
“That was just Bob’s slangy way of talking,” explained Joe, after he was sure that he had regained control of his features. “Static is the electricity that is always in the air, and gives us radio fans a good deal of trouble.”
“Oh, I see,” said Ruth, and she was a good enough sport to laugh at her own mistake.