er, isn't it?" Cub remarked.

"Why, don't you believe the explanation he telegraphed to us?" Hal
inquired.

"I do not," the tall youth replied positively.

"Why not?" Hal persisted. "Doesn't it satisfy your lordship?"

"Cut it out, Tee-hee," the alleged "lordship" ordered. "You make me
sore."

"Then I'll rub on some salve."

"If you do, you'll get your fingers burnt," Cub retorted.

"I always thought you were a hot one. But that doesn't answer the
question before us."

"No, because we don't know how to settle it," Cub admitted. "If we knew
what we're talkin' about, we wouldn't be batting this nonsense back and
forth. We can't hit the nail on the head, so we just fan the air. By the
way, what did that fellow say before Bud and I began to listen-in?"

Hal reviewed the first half of the statement received by him. Then Mr.
Perry, who had just returned from ashore, where he had been testing the
security of the tie-up, entered the cabin.

"What's the trouble, boys?" he asked, noting the studied expression of
their faces.

"No trouble, exactly," Cub replied. "Just another mystery."

"That's interesting," the yachtsman commented. "Tell me about it."

"You get my goat, dad," Cub declared.

Mr. Perry laughed.

"Why do I get your goat, Bob?" he asked.

"Because the more mystery there is floating around, the better
pleased you are."

"Is that so? Well, what's the mystery now?"

"You tell 'im, Hal," requested the youth of the "goat-got affliction".

Hal did as requested. Quiet of several moments followed.

"Well?" Mr. Perry interrogated.

"Well!". repeated Cub vociferously. "Is that all you can say?"

"I'd like to return your goat, Bob, but I don't see how I can," Mr. Perry
announced provokingly.

"In other words, you don't see anything startling about that fellow's
last performance," Cub inferred.

"No--o, nothing startling," his father replied slowly.

"What do you make out of it, then?"

"I don't know that I make anything out of it, except a lot of nonsense."

"You think it's a joke?"

"I wouldn't call it anything but a lot of nonsense until I know more
about it."

"But doesn't it make you impatient to find out what it all means?"
Cub demanded.

"No, not in the least. I got over that long ago, my son. Don't let any
such habit grip you; it'll wear your nerves out, and then you won't have
any lead-in to connect your antennae with your brains."

"Ha, ha, ha," laughed the man's youthful audien