ften go much faster; and who
have all the rules governing the exchange of radio messages stowed
away in their heads. They are the A1 men and every first-class ship is
obliged by law to have aboard it two of them. Then there are the
second-class certificate fellows who practically have as much radio
but cannot hit such a gait, and can only manage to send between
twelve and nineteen words a minute. They can go on first-class ships
provided more skilled operators are aboard. Sometimes, even, they
substitute for them under supervision. Their chief jobs, however, are
on ships that use wireless only for their personal benefit; that is,
to talk with their own crews. Often a fishing fleet, for instance,
will carry a man of this class to communicate with its other vessels.
They can talk, too, with shore stations when it is necessary. But the
law does not allow them to take positions where there is a great rush
of business and general responsibility. They must have the topnotchers
for such work."

"I had no idea there were so many rules about radio," mused Dick.

"There are--strict ones, too," replied his companion. "Moreover, the
government keeps tabs on all radio people to see they obey the rules.
Every wireless man is examined, classified, and given a license just
as an automobile driver is. He has to keep it handy, too, and be ready
to trot it out on request. You can't get by with bluffing. If an
operator is found to be unfamiliar with the rules, or is discovered
breaking any of them, his certificate can be withdrawn. No chap wants
to risk that, especially if he is trying to earn his living by
wireless. And if a ship, and not its radio operator, is found to be
breaking the rules, the coastal stations may be notified not to have
anything to do with her. In other words she is boycotted and the land
operators told neither to receive her messages nor answer them."

"That would be some boycott!"

"The shipboard radio stations, you see, come under the authority of
the commanding officer of the ship. It has to be so, because in case
of accident he would be the person responsible for sending out
distress calls and answering them. The radio man couldn't just grab
the power. There has to be one boss of every job."

"I can see that," nodded Dick. "But why such a network of other
rules?"

"There have to be. It all has to be charted in black and white or
there would be terrible mix-ups."

"And do foreign ships have to fall into l