“Sure!” returned the enterprising Ben with vim.
“All right; I want to string a coil of new wire I got yesterday,” explained Tom, going around to the other side of the tree. “Why, it’s gone!” he cried.
“What’s gone?” queried Ben.
“The wire. Now, isn’t that a shame!” cried Tom indignantly, fussing around among the grass and bushes. “That coil couldn’t have walked away. Some one must have stolen it.”
“Don’t be too hasty, Tom. Some one passing by may have picked it up. You know the fellows are playing ball over in the meadow just beyond here. Some of them may have cut across and stumbled over your wire.”
“Couldn’t they see that I was putting up a station here?” demanded Tom with asperity.
“Station?” repeated Ben with a jolly laugh. “See here, old fellow, you forget that we scientific numbskulls wouldn’t know your contrivance here from a clothes dryer.”
“Well, come on, anyway. I’ve got to find that wire,” said Tom with determination.
In the distance they could hear the shouts of boys at play, and passing through some brushwood they came to the edge of the open meadow lining the river.
Half a dozen boys were engaged in various pastimes. Two of them playing at catch greeted Tom with enthusiasm.