“What?”
Prince Huaca whirled to face this new speaker. It was a habit of his to stare steadily and searchingly into the eyes of whomever he conversed with.
“Yes, it can be done,” said Jack.
“But how?”
It was Don Ernesto who asked.
“Very simply,” said Jack. “Let me explain so that Prince Huaca can comprehend. This outfit, sir”—and, rising and walking to the table, Jack indicated the radio outfit reposing there—“can receive messages sent from very far away, but it cannot send messages except for a comparatively short distance, 150 miles at most. It was that which my father had in mind.
“However, at the Andine Monastery of the Cross of the Snows, Don Ernesto, you will remember that we built a sending station by utilizing the water power in the falls and the turbines of the power plant. I cannot explain more clearly to you, Prince Huaca,” he added, addressing the latter, “without going into too great detail. But this will make it clearer to you. We can send the voice-through-the-air to another station, which in turn, will send it farther, just as one runner carries a message which he transfers to another.”
Prince Huaca nodded, his eyes bright and expectant.
“And from the monastery, Jack?” suggested his father.
“Why, Father, you yourself told me that La Prensa, the great newspaper of Buenos Ayres, doubtless had established a radio station at its branch office in Santiago, the Chilian capital. Although when we were in Santiago,” added Jack, “we were so busy with other matters I did not hear of it, or go to investigate.”