rrounding a green clearing. Nothing was to be
seen of Larry and Tim, however, and the radio boys were mystified, as both
their friends had refused to tell them what the act was like. Suddenly the
first piping notes of a canary bird's song were heard, rising so clear and
lifelike that even the boys themselves were deluded at first into thinking
that they were listening to an actual bird. The canary song ended with a
sustained trill, and then, soft and melodious, came the limpid notes of
the mocking bird's song. By this time the audience had comprehended that
this was in reality a clever human imitation of bird notes, and they
applauded heartily.

"Say!" whispered Jimmy, excitedly, "Larry has picked up a lot of new stuff
since he was at Ocean Point. That was fine, wasn't it?"

"Keep still," whispered Joe, fiercely. "We want to hear every bit of
this."

Jimmy subsided, and they all listened with keen delight as Larry imitated
a host of feathered songsters, each one so true to life that the audience
applauded again and again. At last Larry exhausted his repertoire, and
for the first time appeared in the open, emerging from behind the trunk of
a tree. He was heartily applauded, and as he bowed his way off the stage,
the spotlight shifted, and Tim came onto the stage like a whirlwind, arms
and legs flying as he did a complicated clog dance. At the most furious
part Larry joined him, and they danced together, keeping such perfect time
and going through such identical motions that it seemed as though they
must be automatons actuated by the same string.

As a spectacular finale to the act, each one was supposed to make a dash
for one of the property trees in the background, climb up it and disappear
in the branches as the curtain fell. With a final wild gyration that
brought spontaneous applause from the audience, each one made for his
appointed tree, and started up.

Everything went as usual until Larry had almost reached the branches.
Suddenly there came a cracking sound, the artificial tree swayed and
tottered, and, amid horrified cries from the spectators, crashed to the
stage, bringing down others on top of it as it fell. The radio boys had
just time to see Larry lying, white and senseless, among the ruins when
the curtain descended quickly, shutting off the scene of the accident from
the audience.

So suddenly had the thing happened that at first the boys could hardly
believe the evidence of their eyes. For a few mom