heese! This school
has gone wireless mad,--you know that,--and the country is pretty much
in the same fix, and for the reason that radio is about the biggest
thing in the world. And, fellows, this just fits. We are doing
things--everybody is--in radio and now we are going--this school is
going--to honor the situation if we can start it that way. For, fellows,
Marconi's yacht, the _Elettra_, is in New York Harbor, with Marconi on
board most of the time. And Tony, we'll get Doctor Field to let us have
a whack at the transmitter and you can talk to your friend, or telegraph
your dad and have him come up and radiophone Marconi. And then we'll
listen in for his reply, for I've read he's awfully fine and
good-natured. Isn't that so?"

"It is so, sure and indeed!" declared the Italian youth. "I am
overenjoyed; you say so, eh? that we shall do this. Let us now go, upon
this moment, and talk to the good doctor. There will be no lecturing at
this time over the casting abroad----"

"The broadcasting transmitter? No, we can surely get a whack at it."

CHAPTER VII

MESSAGES

Doctor Field, much interested, accompanied the boys to the school
broadcasting room, and after determining from some data at hand the wave
lengths that would be receivable on the Marconi yacht, Tony began
talking earnestly, almost too rapidly, into the horn, the crack and
buzzing of the battery charges making a sound like that of a rifle
gallery. The president, Bill and Gus also had receiving 'phones clamped
to their ears.

"If he doesn't mind, you might ask him to reply in English, please,"
requested the Doctor, and Tony nodded.

And presently a reply did come, though in Italian. Tony got it, at some
little length; then with a gesture of disappointment he turned to the
others:

"It is an attend--an assister. He informs me that the wireless wizard,
Signor Marconi, whom I explain is a friend to me and my family and he
know our name, that the signor is away on the earth--no, on land, you
say it,--attends some occasion, or is entertain of American friends and
he will not return this many hour. So that it is no value, or you say
useless, to cast wide to him again now at this moment and I am, as you
say, deject?"

They all laughed and cheered Tony with the assurance that there would be
another occasion. Then Bill offered his idea to the president:

"Doctor, we have a notion that this