He was writing on a pad and the crackling sound came from an electric spark that flickered back and forth in the machine before him. Russ and Rose gazed in, wide-eyed.
At length the crackling stopped and the spark went out with a sputter. The man stopped writing and wheeled about in his seat. He saw them looking in at the doorway.
"Hullo!" he exclaimed. "If here aren't two of the little Bunkers. Do you want to send a message by wireless?"
"Thank you," said Rose promptly. "I think it would be nice to send word to Aunt Jo that we are all right and that the ship is all right and that we caught an eagle."
"It costs money to send messages," said the wiser Russ.
"Oh! Does it?" asked his sister.
"I am afraid it does," replied the operator, laughing. "You had better ask Mr. Bunker about sending a message to your aunt, after all. Some messages we do not charge for. But the rules demand that all private messages must be paid for in advance."
"Well, then, I guess we'd better write a letter to Aunt Jo," said Rose, who was practical, after all. "That won't cost anything but a two cent stamp."
"Oh, my!" laughed Russ. "Going to mail it in the ocean?"
"We'll mail it when we get to Charleston," said Rose cheerfully. "I guess Aunt Jo won't mind."