"That was what I had in mind last night. But mounting guard here this morning I had time to think it over, and I decided we had better go slow and, if possible, get the advice of my father on the matter."
"But how could you do that?" asked Frank. "Go back to Hampton ranch again?"
Jack interrupted excitedly.
"No, Frank, don't you see!" he said. "Bob is thinking of the radio here in the cave. Aren't you, Bob? I'm a simpleton not to have thought of it before."
"Well," said Bob, "we've all been so excited, that's not to be wondered at. But while I mounted guard here during your breakfast, I had a chance to calm down and do some thinking."
Bob was eager to use the radio telephone at once, but Jack persuaded him to eat breakfast first. The big fellow literally bolted his bacon, bread and coffee, and then accompanied by Jack, while Frank mounted guard, he retired to the inner room where the radio outfit was located.
"Let's have a look around here before we try to telephone," said Jack. "It will take us only a few minutes. And we ought to know what we have captured. What say?"
"Fair enough," Bob agreed.
A cursory inspection quickly convinced Jack that the station was not of recent installation, but had been put in about the year 1918. Much of the equipment, while of the best at the time it was put in, had been antiquated since by improved parts.
It was a complete two-way installation, however, comprising a generator of practically sustained waves, a good control system to modulate the output, and a ground system for radiating a portion of the modulated energy as well as a receiver and a good amplifier.