“No, but you could hitch your aërial wires to a tree or——â€�
“All right, Mr. Smarty, but just suppose that you are in a country where there are no trees.�
“Oh, I see,� exclaimed Raynor, “in that case you’d do a little kite flying.�
“That’s the idea exactly,� responded Jack.
“Have you tested it yet?� inquired Raynor.
“Up to 150 miles. It works splendidly. I’m going to gear up my hand-generator higher so as to produce a stronger alternating current, however. Then I think I’ll get better results.�
Clang-g-g-g-g-g-g-g!
A gong above Jack’s head sounded clamorously. This gong was another of the boy’s inventions. By means of a silicon detector ingeniously connected, a wireless wave striking the antenna of the Cambodian’s apparatus instantly sounded the gong. In this way Jack had done with a lot of tiresome waiting for calls with his receivers clamped to his head.
“Something doing?� asked Raynor, as Jack sprang from the chair he had been sitting on and seated himself in front of the wireless key.
“I guess it’s nothing much,� was the reply, “Siasconset maybe, or Race.�