By the time a week had passed, matters took an upward turn. Mr. Layton began to progress rapidly, and Dr. Atwood prophesied that in a few days he could begin to attend to business, although at first he could devote only a few hours a day to it, lengthening the time as his strength came back. Affairs in the Layton household resumed their normal course and Bob had time to catch up with his studies that had been temporarily neglected and devote himself once more to his beloved radio.
His interest in the latter was further heightened by the receipt of a letter that came one morning to his father, and whose contents Bob proceeded at once to share with his comrades.
“That talk by Mr. Bentley over the radio is fixed for to-morrow night, fellows,” he told them eagerly, as they started off for school. “Don’t make any other engagement and be sure to be on hand. Suppose you come round to my house to listen in. I’ve been tinkering on my set this last day or two, and I’ve got it tuned to the queen’s taste. And if it’s as cool to-morrow as it is to-day, old static won’t be butting in to any extent.”
“Let’s hope not,” replied Joe. “I don’t want to miss a single word.”
“Same here,” echoed Herb. “That Bentley has something to say and he sure knows how to say it.”
“It’s always worth while listening when a he-man talks,” commented Jimmy, whose imagination had been captured by the breezy personality of the bronzed forest ranger.
CHAPTER IV
RADIO THE FIRE-CONQUEROR
Promptly at eight o’clock on the following night the Radio Boys gathered at Bob’s house to listen to Mr. Bentley’s talk over the radio on radio and forest fires. Even Jimmy, who as a rule lingered long at the supper table and could usually be depended on to be at the tail end of any procession, had made an exception on this occasion, and appeared before the clock struck, although slightly out of breath.
“You’re puffing like a grampus,” remarked Herb, as he surveyed his rotund friend critically.
“I don’t know what a grampus is,” returned Jimmy; “but I wouldn’t blame him for puffing if he’d hurried through his supper the way I did. Had some fresh doughnuts, too, for dessert, but I cut short on them.”