The wireless operator laughed gleefully. “You bet you won’t call me Mr. Mercer. I’d chuck you overboard if you did. But come on. Let’s get out of this. We’ll go to the wireless cabin where we can talk without interruption.”
He picked up his visitor’s suit case. Then he turned toward his friend with an expression of astonishment on his face. “Whatever have you got in that suit case, Willie Brown?” he asked. “It’s as heavy as a ton of bricks.”
“I’ve got my wireless set in it, Roy, and a bunch of fresh batteries.”
“Your wireless set! Well, of all the fool ideas! To bring your dinky home-made wireless outfit with you, when the Lycoming has one of the most up-to-date equipment money can buy! But I don’t care if you’ve got a crocodile in your suit case. It’s you I’m interested in, Willie. Gee whiz! It does seem good to see you. Tell me about the rest of the bunch. How are they?”
“Fine as silk,” said Willie.
By this time they had reached the wireless house. Willie’s eyes opened wide in astonishment as he saw the magnificent wireless outfit. “Whew!” he whistled. “That’s a dandy set. Won’t you show it to me?”
“Sure,” said Roy, “but first tell me about the fellows at home. How’s the Wireless Patrol coming on? And what are the fellows all doing? Tell me about them.”
“There is mighty little to tell you that you don’t already know, Roy. We’ve told you by wireless everything that’s worth telling. Charley Russell is still a forest ranger and doing well. He’s getting ahead fast. And Alec is making good in the oyster business. We had a letter from him telling us how you saved him and his friends when their ship became disabled in a storm in the Delaware Bay and drifted to sea. That was a wonderful rescue, Roy. Gee whiz! We fellows of the Wireless Patrol were proud of you.”
“Rats! I hadn’t anything to do with the rescue. Captain Lansford is the man who saved Alec and his friends. I merely caught his SOS.”
“We know all about how much you had to do with it. We know that Alec would never have been saved if you hadn’t been at your post, doing your duty. We know——”