The Radio Boys in the Thousand Islands Part 18

"Step number one proved to be well worth while," observed Mr. Perry. "Now let's go to bed and in the morning we'll take step number two."

CHAPTER XVII

Bud's Discovery

Next morning the day's program was discussed at the breakfast table, the latter being a light collapsible affair carried as an item of equipment of the Catwhisker. Hal introduced the subject by saying:

"Mr. Perry, don't you think two of us ought to stay here while the other two of us make the trip to bring Uncle John over here?"

"What's the use?" Mr. Perry returned. "n.o.body's going to run away with the island."

"No, but we've established a camp here, pitched a tent, and brought ash.o.r.e a lot of camp material and supplies. If we all go we'll have to strike the tent and take all these things back on the boat."

"Well, I don't know that it makes any particular difference to me," the owner of the yacht replied. "It'll be broad daylight and we'll be gone only a few hours. It isn't at all likely that anything will happen during that time."

"I'll stay here with Hal, if he wants to stay," Bud volunteered.

"That would be about the only way to arrange it," said Mr. Perry. "I don't like to have any of you boys make the trip without my being along, and as Cub knows the engine of the Catwhisker better than any other member of our party, I think I'd better take him with me."

"That's the best arrangement," said Hal. "And while you're gone, Bud and I'll play Robinson Crusoe and Friday."

"Who'll be Crusoe and who'll be Friday?" Cub inquired.

"Oh, we won't quarrel about that," Bud replied. "Hal may have his choice and I'll take what's left."

"This plan will simplify matters, to say the least," Mr. Perry announced.

"About all we'll have to do when we decide to start is start."

"You don't need to wash any dishes before you go," said Bud.

"Friday'll do that."

"There you go already," laughed Mr. Perry. "I predict a revolution on this island before we return."

"No, nothing of the kind," Bud returned. "I was a.s.suming that the lot of Friday would fall to me. In other words, I volunteer to wash the dishes."

"I think you'll both have to be Fridays," Cub advised. "The real Crusoe of this place has disappeared and we don't want anybody usurping his honors in his absence. It is our duty to find him, reinstate him here, and then rescue him."

"And make prisoners of the buccaneers who marooned him," suggested Mr. Perry.

"Yes, and make them walk the plank," added Bud.

"We're not exactly right in calling Hal's cousin a Robinson Crusoe, are we?" asked Cub reflectively. "You know Crusoe wasn't marooned; he was shipwrecked on his island."

"Yes, but Crusoe was just a hero in fiction, you know," Mr. Perry replied. "Alexander Selkirk, the real Crusoe, was marooned on an island in the south Pacific."

"Too bad he didn't have a wireless outfit," said Hal.

"Well, boys, my portion of the breakfast is stowed away, and I must remind you that the moments are fleeting rapidly," announced the director of the expedition presently. "Cub, are you ready to start?"

"All ready," the latter replied, rising from his chair and turning the "finish" of a cup of coffee down his throat.

"I would suggest that you boys try to raise some amateur over in Rockport and probably you can stir up some local interest there in this affair,"

Mr. Perry suggested. "I'm always in favor of all the publicity that can be had in cases of rascality, and this looks to me like something more than a mere hazing."

"Why, dad, I haven't heard you say anything like that before," said Cub, with a curiously inquiring look at his father. "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know," was the reply. "Maybe it's our remarks about Crusoe, buccaneers, marooning, and walking the plank that worked on my mind and set me to thinking about outlaws. I've just got a feeling that this affair isn't going to be explained along any play lines."

"But Hal's cousin didn't have any suspicion that it was anything more than a hazing affair, according to his diary," Cub reminded.

"I'm not so sure about that, either. You know he explained his distress messages by saying that he had been marooned by some river thieves or bandits."

"But he said in his diary he didn't want to tell the truth," said Hal.

"True, but he may have had a suspicion, nevertheless, that he felt was not tangible enough to incorporate in his diary. However, that will all be explained in due time, let us hope. Now, let's hurry. Good-bye, Hal, Bud. We'll be back as soon as possible."

A few minutes later that Catwhisker was backing out of the narrow harbor with Cub and his father aboard and Bud and Hal on sh.o.r.e watching their departure. Presently the yacht was out of sight from their hemmed-in position, the view being obstructed by trees and tall bushes on an intervening isle, which const.i.tuted a link of the insular chain that surrounded Friday Island.

"Now, let's wash the dishes," said Bud, turning back toward the camp.

"I thought Friday was going to do that work," Hal reminded with a broad grin on his face.

"Wasn't it ordered that both of us should be Fridays?" Bud demanded smartly.

"You win," laughed Hal. "But here's a better way to handle the subject in view of another duty before us. You know we're supposed to try to get in touch with somebody by radio at Rockport and we haven't much time to spare before the Catwhisker arrives there. You get busy on the job and I'll take care of the dishes."

"Not on your lightning switch," returned Bud emphatically. "I volunteered to be Friday, and I'm not going to slip out of my promise through your generosity. You get busy with the key and the phones and I'll get busy with the dishrag."

As no reasonable argument could be adduced to defeat this proposition, the two boys were soon busy as prescribed by the last speaker. Bud's task required only about fifteen minutes, and after it was finished he rejoined his companion at the radio table.

"Well, what luck?" he inquired.

"Nothing doing," Hal replied. "I've managed to get the calls and waves of two amateurs at Rockport, but neither of them answers."

"Keep it up anyway," Bud urged, "and I'll take a tackle and go over to the place where we took in our haul of fish yesterday, and see what I can do this morning. Call me if you get anything interesting."

Hal promised to do as requested and then Bud hurried away. The former continued his efforts unsuccessfully with the sending key for nearly half an hour, hearing no sound from his friend in the meantime. Then he was about to take the receivers from his ears and go in search of the fisher-boy to find out what success he had had, when the latter appeared on the scene with a look in his face that startled the youth at the radio table.

"What's the matter, Bud?" Hal inquired, as he literally tore the phones from his ears. "Has anything happened?"

"Not exactly," the other replied. "But I've made a discovery that may mean trouble for us. At least, we'll have to be on the lookout from now on."

"Why--what do you mean? Hurry up; don't keep me in suspense. What kind of discovery have you made?"