urselves as cowards."

As usual, his comrades accorded him the leadership and fell in with his
plan, although it was not without many misgivings that they awaited the
coming of the angry proprietor of the place, who had already started in
pursuit of them, accompanied by many others who had been attracted by
the crash and whose numbers were being rapidly augmented.

"Here are the fellows that smashed my window!" cried Mr. Larsen, the
proprietor of the drygoods store, rushing up to them and shaking his
fist in their faces. "Where are the police?" he shouted, looking around
him. "I'll have them arrested for malicious damage."

And while he faced them, gesticulating wildly, his face purple with
anger and excitement, it may be well for the benefit of those who have
not read the preceding volumes of this series to tell briefly who the
radio boys are and what had been their adventures before the time this
story opens.

The acknowledged leader of the boys was Bob Layton, son of a prosperous
chemist of Clintonia, in which town Bob had been born and brought up.
Mr. Layton was a respected citizen of the town and foremost in its civic
activities. Clintonia was a thriving little city of about ten thousand
population, situated on the Shagary River, about seventy-five miles from
the city of New York.

Bob at the beginning of this story was about sixteen years old, tall and
stalwart and a clean-cut specimen of upstanding American youth. He was
of rather dark complexion and had a pair of eyes that looked straight at
one. Those eyes were usually merry, but could flash with indignation
when circumstances required it. He was never on the lookout for trouble,
but was always ready to meet it half way, and his courageous character
together with his vigorous physique had made him prominent in the sports
of the boys of his own age. He was a crack baseball player and one of
the chief factors of the high school football eleven. No one in
Clintonia was held in better liking.

Bob's special chum was Joe Atwood, son of the leading physician of the
town. Joe was fair in complexion and sturdy in makeup. He and Bob had
been for many years almost inseparable companions, Bob usually acting as
captain in anything in which they might be engaged, while Joe served as
first mate. The latter had a hot temper, and his impulsiveness sometimes
got him into trouble and would have involved him in scrapes oftener if
it had not been for the cooler head and stea