was the reply; "and I just got through talking with Bud over the
wire before you called up."

"Well, how does it stand?"

"His folks won't let him go and my folks won't let me go unless some
experienced man goes along with us."

"Hooray! we win!" yelled Cub. "Father thinks it's a peach of an adventure
and he's almost as crazy over it as we were last night. He says 'yes'
with a capital Y, and he'll go along with us. He says he's been wanting a
vacation with some pep in it for quite a while, and this scheme of ours
is ninety-nine per cent pep. If you and Bud don't go, father and I are
going anyway. So get busy as fast as you can. We're off this afternoon,
as early as we can get ready. I've already sent a wireless to Crusoe that
we're coming. Good-bye; I'm going to call Bud now. Be over here as soon
as you can and help us get ready."

CHAPTER IV

The Catwhisker

The Catwhisker, a neat gasoline power boat of the cruiser type left the
private dock of the Perry home in Oswego early in the afternoon with the
three radio boys and Mr. Perry on board. This had meant some rapid work
by the members of the "rescue party" in preparation for the trip, for it
was necessary for them to do considerable buying in the line of
provisions and the transportation of a number of articles of incidental
convenience, together with one complete sending and receiving wireless
outfit. The hook-up of this outfit, on the boat, however, was left for a
more leisurely occupation after all other preparations for the cruise
were completed and they were well on their way.

The name Catwhisker harked back to the days when radio, or wireless
telegraphy, was in its infancy in the experience of the three boys whose
adventures are the inspiration of this volume. Mr. Perry bought the motor
boat at a time when his son and the latter's two chums were busy
experimenting with crystal outfits, and the name of the cruiser was
suggested to them by the fine spring-wires used to make contact with the
crystals in their detectors. No doubt, it was the catchiness of the word,
as well as its association with their hobby, that appealed to them in the
general search for a name for the boat.

This vessel was 36 feet long, with a beam of nine feet and with a canopy
covering the after deck. Amidships was a raised bridge deck on which were
mounted and housed the wheel and engine controls. Under this and the
after deck were the engine-room and the galley, and forwar