The boys were not slow to avail themselves of this offer. The radio inspector volunteered to substitute for his cousin while the latter was busy with the boys, which left Mr. Harvey free to explain the bewildering details of the plant to his guests.
“I wouldn’t take this much trouble with everybody,” he said. “But Frank tells me that you fellows are so interested in the subject and have studied it up so much that you’ll be able to understand what I show you. Lots of people come in here that know absolutely nothing about radiophony, and expect me to explain the whole science to them while they wait.”
“They’d have to wait a long while,” grinned the irrepressible Jimmy. “I’ve just about learned enough about it to know I don’t know anything, if you understand what I mean.”
“I get you, all right,” returned Harvey, with a smile. “I’ve worked at it a long time myself, but as it is I can hardly keep up with all the new developments. There seems to be something new discovered every day.”
All that morning he took the boys about the plant, showing and explaining the various instruments. Some of these the boys were familiar with, while others were entirely new to them. But by dint of asking many questions, which were answered with great patience by the wireless man, they obtained a reasonably clear idea of the functions of the various parts and their relations to each other, and when they finally departed they felt that they had learned a great deal. Harvey even allowed them to “listen in” to messages arriving from big ships hundreds of miles out at sea.
“Well, we’ve had a wonderful morning and learned a lot, but I guess we must have tired you out, Mr. Harvey,” said Bob, as the boys were taking their leave.
“Not a bit of it,” denied the radio man. “I’ll be glad to see you any time you want to drop in. Lots of times there isn’t much coming in, and it gets pretty lonely around here.”
“You can bet we’ll be only too glad to come,” said Bob, and the boys left with many expressions of friendliness on both sides.
“We’re in luck to be located so near this station and to be friends with one of the operators,” said Joe, as the boys started homeward.
“We surely are!” agreed Bob. “I know I feel as though I’d learned a good deal this morning, and I guess you fellows do, too.”