“How do you know all this?” inquired Herb curiously. “You seem to be chock full of information to-day.”
“Oh, a little bird told me,” said Jimmy, looking mysterious. However, as Herb made a threatening motion toward him, he hurried to explain. “I met Terry Mooney,” he said. “I told him I knew all about who put the stone in the snowball and I told him that our crowd was going to make his look like two cents. He laughed and said swell chance we’d have. Said Buck had gone to the lumber camp with his father and that he and Carl Lutz were going to join him in a day or two. Just like Buck to run away when he knows there’s a good licking coming to him!” added Jimmy, with a sneer.
“Oh, well, what do we care?” said Joe. “At least we sha‘n’t have those fellows around spoiling all the fun.”
“I’m glad you found out about the snowball just the same,” said Bob thoughtfully. “Every little bit helps when we have to fight against that crooked gang of Buck’s.”
“Here’s hoping,” said Herb fervently, “that they stay away all the rest of the spring.”
By this time the lads had reached Bob’s house. It was Saturday afternoon, and as the boys crowded noisily into the hall Bob noticed that his father was in the library and that he seemed to have company.
He was starting upstairs with the other lads when his father came out of the library and called to him.
“Come on in for a few minutes, boys,” he said. “I have a friend here who is a man after your own hearts,” and his eyes twinkled. “He’s interested in radio.”
The boys needed no second invitation, for they never missed an opportunity of meeting any one who could tell them something about the wonders of radio.
Mr. Layton’s guest was lounging in one of the great chairs in the library, and from the moment the boys laid eyes on him they knew they were going to hear something of more than usual interest.