CHAPTER XXV: POMPEY LEARNS ABOUT WIRELESS.
Bright and early the next morning, you may depend upon it, the boys were at work. They experienced some little difficulty in locating where Terror Carson had kept the instruments. But they ultimately found them in his cabin which, luckily, was not on the submerged side of the tilted vessel.
A long, slender spar was towed from the schooner to Camp Hope. This was to act as an aërial. Raynor experienced a good deal of difficulty in establishing his station. While he was a competent operator, thanks to Jack’s untiring instruction, he was unfamiliar with connecting the instrument. Luckily, however, an instruction book formed a part of the set and this aided him not a little in his task.
Power for the current was supplied by a device especially made for sailing ships where electric or steam power is not available. It consisted of a dynamo and batteries run and charged by operating pedals very much as is done on a bicycle. Raynor found that he could get ample current with this device.
It was a great day when all was ready for the test. The instruments had been installed inside the hut. Outside rose the tall, slender mast supporting the aërials. Raynor was not without a thrill as he took his place at the key. Noddy and Pompey stared at him as if he had been a wizard. He pressed down the key, and the great spark jumped with a hissing explosion between the points.
“Wow!� yelled Pompey, in great alarm, “look at de green snake. Will him bite Massa Raynor?�
“He would if you put your fingers on it,â€� laughed Raynor, “you’d get a shock that would lay you out for a week—so be warned and never monkey with the apparatus.â€�
“No, sah, deed ah won’ do dat ting,� Pompey assured him with a positive shake of the head. “Dis chile ull certainly not trouble dat dere spatteratus no time.�
“How’s she work?� asked Noddy.
“Alright as far as I can make out. I’m sending out the S.O.S. call now with all the current I can get.�