I told you we haven’t sufficient men to make a systematic search of the coast. We’ll have to depend on Handby to betray the station to us.”
“Not necessarily,” interrupted Jack.
Inspector Burton glanced at him inquiringly.
“The government certainly has a powerful radio station or two out here on the Pacific Coast,” said Jack. “Hasn’t it?”
“Why, yes,” answered Inspector Burton. “There’s a big one right here in San Francisco. But, to tell you the truth, I’ve never paid much attention to radio.”
“Well, Jack has,” said Mr. Temple, smiling. “He and his father are radio fans. They have several big stations of their own under special government license, on Long Island and in New Mexico. Jack probably knows more about radio than about anything else.”
“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or a slap,” laughed Jack.
“A compliment, my boy, a compliment,” said Mr. Temple, patting him on the shoulder.
“Well,” said Jack, “I’ll confess I was caging a bit when I asked whether the government had stations out here. I know it has. You know, you fellows”—turning to his chums—“how dad and I have studied the history of radio development. I remember that
as far back as 1910 or 1912 the Federal Telegraph Company carried on radio experiments out here between stations at San Francisco, Stockton, Sacramento and Los Angeles.”