rks."

"All right, then, we'll consider that settled," said Bob. "Joe and I will
call for you early in the afternoon. By that time Mr. Brandon will be
back, and maybe he'll come, too."

The radio inspector returned the next day, but he could not promise to
accompany the little party, as he had to attend a meeting at headquarters
the following Monday.

CHAPTER XXII

BROADCASTING MARVELS

The remainder of the week sped quickly by, and almost before the boys
realized it the holiday had arrived. Larry spent the morning at Bob's
house, where he watched Bob and Joe working on the new set, and kept his
promise to ask questions.

"It doesn't do me much good, though," he said, fairly puzzled at last.
"That's about the most mysterious looking box of tricks that I've ever had
the hard luck to look at. What are all those dials and knobs for? Do you
keep your money in there, or what?"

"You must think they are combination locks," laughed Bob. "This knob here
controls a condenser, and this one a transformer."

"But how do you know what to do with them?" asked the bewildered Larry.
"How do you know which one to turn and which one to leave alone?"

"You don't," laughed Bob. "You may have an idea about where they should be
placed, but it's different every evening."

"Yes, and during the evening, too," added Joe. "You have to keep adjusting
all the time to get the best results."

"Well, if it depended on me, I'm afraid I'd only get the worst results,"
said Larry. "It all looks terribly complicated to me."

"You don't have to worry much about it, anyway," said Joe. "All you have
to do is whistle into the transmitter, and it's up to us to hear you. We
have to do all the work."

"It's a lucky thing for me that it is that way," said Larry. "If I had to
learn all about radio before I could give my act, I'd probably starve to
death first."

"Radio is just like everything else," said Bob. "It looks very mysterious
and difficult to an outsider, but when you get into it a little way and
understand the rudiments, it begins to look a lot simpler. It wouldn't
take you very long to catch on to it. Especially a smart lad like you," he
added, with a grin.

"Cut out the comedy," said Larry. "Any time I get a compliment from you or
Joe, I know there's a nigger in the woodpile somewhere."

"The trouble with you is, you're too modest," said Joe. "When we do say
something good about you, you think we're only kidding."

"I don't