“Think?” repeated Bob, still wonderingly. “Why, there’s only one thing to think, of course. That fool horseshoe of yours, Herb, is one wonderful improvement. I don’t know how it works, but it surely is a marvel.”
Herb glanced at Jimmy and Joe in triumph.
“What did I tell you?” he said. “Perhaps now you’ll believe that my idea wasn’t such a fool one after all.”
“But what did it do, Bob?” asked Joe, mystified.
“It increased the sensitivity of that old audion tube, that’s what it did,” replied Bob, absently, his mind already busy with inventive thoughts. “I can’t see yet just how it accomplished it, but the connection with the station was certainly clearer and more distinct than usual.”
“But how can a magnet increase the sensitivity of a vacuum tube?” asked Jimmy, not yet wholly convinced. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Well, I don’t see why not,” contradicted Joe slowly. “I suppose the improvement is due to the magnetic effect of the magnet upon the electrons flowing from the filament to the plate. I don’t exactly see why it should be an improvement, but if it is, then there must be some reason for it.”
“I wish we could find the reason!” cried Bob excitedly. “If we could make some improvement upon the vacuum tube——”
“Don’t wake him up, he is dreaming!” cried Herb. “If you don’t look out, old boy, you’ll have us all millionaires.”
“Well, there are worse things,” retorted Bob, taking the magnet from Herb’s hand and placing it near the tube. “This has given us something to think about, anyway.”