CHAPTER XXIV
A PLOT THAT WENT WRONG
"So far, so good," breathed Bob happily, as the boys were discussingthe news that Mrs. Salper had passed the crisis and was now probablyon the road to recovery. "That's one thing we can set down to thecredit of radio."
"And it's not the only thing of the same sort," put in Joe. "Do youremember what Mr. Brandon told us of that ship with thirty men and nodoctor on board, where twenty-four of the men were down with amysterious disease? The captain got a message by wireless to shoretelling of his plight, and one of the best doctors in New York Citywent to the radio station there and got in touch with the captain. Hetalked to him by radio for hours, had him describe just the symptoms,and then told the captain just what to do. A couple of days later thecaptain wirelessed in that he had followed directions and that all ofthe men had recovered and were fit for duty."
"Yes," said Herb, "and about that other case, too, where a man had aninfected hand and they were afraid he was going to have lockjaw. Adoctor on land told the captain how to treat it and the man got alongall right."
"Trust radio, and you won't go wrong," summed up Bob. "On land and seait's right on the job."
"I only hope it will be as effective in saving Mr. Salper's money,"observed Joe.
"I think very likely it will," replied Bob. "He's about as keen asthey make them, and now that he knows what those rascals are plottingagainst him it's dollars to doughnuts that he'll get the best of them.Their only chance was in taking him by surprise and putting over thatdeal while his back was turned. And now that he's got in touch withhis brokers I guess the game is up."
"I wonder how long it will be before we know how it turned out,"conjectured Herb.
"Oh, probably not more than two or three days," replied Bob. "Thingsmove pretty fast in Wall Street when a fight is on for control."
"I hope he comes out on top," observed Joe. "He's a good deal of acrab, and I was mighty sore at him when he landed on us the way he didthe day we were coming up here. Acted as though he thought we ought tobe shot at sunrise. But since that time I've seen a good deal abouthim to like and I've come to the conclusion that he's a regular fellowafter all."
"You can tell by the fondness that the girls have for him that hecan't be so bad," said Bob. "That's a pretty good sign to go by. Theyknow him better than any one else except his wife, and she seems tothink, too, that the sun rises and sets in him."
"I want him to come out ahead not only for his own sake but because Iwant to see that fellow Mohun downed," put in Jimmy. "I'm sore at himright down to the ground. I don't like his eyes, I don't like hisvoice, I don't like his teeth, I don't like his character----"
"Outside of that, though, I suppose he's all right," suggested Joe,grinning. "He seems to be just about as popular with you as arattlesnake."
"That's what he reminds me of, anyway," admitted Jimmy.
"Talking of rattlesnakes," put in Herb, "here come three of them now,"and he indicated Buck Looker, who, with Lutz and Mooney, was comingalong the road. For some time now the Looker crowd had kept out of theradio boys' way.
"I wonder what trick they're up to now," said Bob, as he saw that thebunch had their heads together in earnest conversation.
"No knowing," answered Joe; "but it's a safe bet that it's somethingcheap and low down. Buck would think the day was wasted if he didn'thave something of the kind on hand."
The groups passed each other without speaking, though Buck darted alook at Bob in passing that had in it the usual malignance, mingledwith a touch of triumph.
"Did you see that look?" queried Herb, with interest. "Seemed as if hehad something up his sleeve."
"I know what it meant well enough," answered Bob, with a shade ofsoberness. "My dad was telling me that he'd been notified that a suithad been started against him and the fathers of you other fellows byMr. Looker to recover the value of the cottage that he said we set onfire."
"That's all bunk!" cried Herb indignantly. "He couldn't prove it in ahundred years. A lawsuit, eh? Huh!"
"Dad doesn't think Looker has much of a case," replied Bob. "Still, hesays that you can never tell what a man like Looker and the kind oflawyer he would hire may do. Of course we can't get away from the factthat we were in the house the day before it burned, and that looksbad. We know we didn't set it on fire, but nobody else knows wedidn't. At any rate, even if Looker loses his case, our folks willhave to hire lawyers and lose a lot of time in attending court, sothat all in all it makes a pretty bad mess."
"So that's what Buck was looking so tickled about!" exclaimed Joe."I'd like to wipe that look off his face."
"It might be a little satisfaction," laughed Bob. "But it wouldn'thelp us win the lawsuit."
By this time their walk had taken them near the vicinity of the radiostation; and as they approached it they caught sight of Mr. Salperpacing back and forth in a state of impatience.
"Seems to be stirred up about something," remarked Joe.
"Did you ever see him when he wasn't?" laughed Jimmy.
At this moment Mr. Salper caught sight of the boys and came hastilytoward them.
"I want some messages sent and taken," he said, in his usual abruptway, though there was none of the sharpness in his voice that hadusually been in evidence when he spoke to them. "I wonder if you coulddo this for me," and his eyes rested inquiringly upon Bob.
"I'll do my best, Mr. Salper," replied the latter, and the whole groupwent into the wireless room.
"I suppose you have permission to use this plant?" came from Joe.
"Oh, yes. If it hadn't been for that I couldn't have used it as I didthose other times," answered the broker.
Bob seated himself at the sending key and, following the financier'sdirections, got in touch with the Wall Street house that had figuredin the previous communications.
For an hour or more there was an interchange of messages that weremostly nonunderstandable to Bob and his friends who listened with thekeenest interest. There was talk of stocks and bonds and ofconsolidations and controls and proxies and a host of other thingsthat bore on financial deals.
At the beginning, Mr. Salper sat with furrowed brows and an air ofintense concentration. But as the answers came in to his variousinquiries, his brow gradually cleared and he relaxed somewhat in hischair.
Finally there came an answer that stirred him mightily. He jumped tohis feet and slapped his thigh.
"I've got him!" he cried jubilantly. "By Jove, I've got him!"
The Radio Boys at Mountain Pass; Or, The Midnight Call for Assistance Page 26
