“It shows what good advertising will do,” he said, glowing with pride, as he escorted his young charges through the streets. Reuben did not accompany them. He had gone out to find his brother-in-law. In the meantime the captain, at the boys’ solicitation, had promised to get him a job on the fair grounds if he did not find employment at anything else, an offer which Reuben subsequently accepted.
Breakfast was a merry meal, and the boys had much to tell of their experiences on the trip. After they had finished, they returned to the fair grounds and were shown round by the captain. Several of the aviators who were to take part in the carnival had already arrived and erected their tents with gay festoons of bunting floating over them.
The boys were much disappointed, however, to learn that an air craft they had been most anxious to see was not yet on the grounds. This was the celebrated Sky Eagle, a big dirigible, equipped with wireless and one of the first aërial craft to be so fitted. The captain told them that the dirigible was on the way, however, and was expected ere long on the grounds.
“Have you been notified by them, then?” asked Jack, rather puzzled as to how the captain could have such information.
“Yes, they sent us a message by wireless not long since that they expected to arrive to-day.”
“Then there is a wireless plant in the town?” asked Tom, somewhat surprised.
“There’s one right on the grounds,” rejoined the captain, “it’s one of the exhibits. See the aërials over yonder?”
Sure enough, in one corner of the grounds the spider-like strands of a vertical aërial mast could be seen leading into a hut about which a small crowd was clustered. The captain explained that the operator of the plant was even then trying to locate the Sky Eagle. He had hardly finished explaining this when a boy came rushing out of the wireless hut in hot haste.
“There’s a messenger now. Maybe he’s looking for me!” cried the captain. “Hey, boy!”
The boy turned and came running toward them.