"It was certainly a grand and glorious feeling. I only
hope our new set comes up to scratch as well as that one did."

"I guess there isn't much doubt about the new set," observed Joe,
confidently. "It will just _have_ to work."

"Look out," laughed Mr. Layton. "Don't forget the old saying, that 'pride
goeth before a fall.'"

"Yes, we may have an awful bump coming to us, I suppose," said Joe. "But
we'd be awfully sore if it didn't work, after all the labor we've put on
it."

"We'll make it work, all right," predicted Bob. "Maybe not on the very
first trial, but we'll get it going in the end, I'll bet a cookie."

"I surely hope it will be all right, because I know how bad you would all
feel if it didn't," said Mrs. Layton. "I never knew boys would work so
hard at anything, just for the sake of the fun they expect to get out of
it."

"They may get a good deal more than just fun out of it," remarked Mr.
Layton, seriously. "It looks to me as though radiophony were only just
starting at present, and it seems certain that it offers a big field for
any one who has the desire and ability to take up that line of work. It
may turn out to be a fine thing for them later on."

"I suppose that's very true," said his wife, thoughtfully. "Although that
side of it never occurred to me before."

After a little further conversation, Joe, Herb, and Jimmy said good-night
and took their leave, thinking, as they walked home, of what Mr. Layton
had said. They had all entertained the same idea before, but his words had
encouraged them. Why not? Surely there must be many openings in so large
a field for bright and ambitious young fellows, and in their dreams that
night the boys had visions of fame and fortune attained through the medium
of wireless telephony.

They were discussing this the next afternoon on their way home from
school, when their speculations were brought to an abrupt end by the sight
of Larry hobbling down the street toward them as fast as he could travel
with his crutch, his face flushed and his free arm wildly waving.

CHAPTER XXI

THE VANISHING CROOKS

The radio boys broke into a run, and soon reached their excited friend.

"What's the matter, Larry?" asked Bob. "You look as though you had just
seen a ghost. What's the trouble?"

"I wish you'd gotten here a few minutes sooner!" panted Larry. "Confound
this blamed crutch of mine. How can anybody hope to make any speed with
one of these things?"

"He