en't we
doing all we can? Do you want Daly to smell a rat and toss his stolen
property into the sea? Dacie says to give him rope enough and in time
he will hang himself, and I am inclined to think the advice wise.
Still, that does not prevent me from wishing I could lay hands on
Daly. I'd like nothing better than to thrash the life out of him."

"I suppose you will telephone the detective the news we've received,"
suggested Bob, in order to quell the rising storm and divert Mr.
Crowninshield's attention.

"Yes, I'll get New York on the wire right away. It is as well Lyman
and his pal should know Lola is sick and that they can't dally round
forever."

"Shall you be back for the wireless lesson?" called Bob, uncertain
whether to ask the question or not.

"Oh, sure! It won't help matters for us to sit around and wail the
whole morning. We'll be on deck for your radio talk at the usual
time."

"All right, sir."

True to their agreement, at the appointed hour both Mr. and Mrs.
Crowninshield made their appearance on the piazza and joined the group
of young people who awaited their coming. They had, as Bob expressed
it, cooled off a bit and were no longer in such an agitated frame of
mind; nevertheless anxiety had left its mark by keying the master's
voice to a sharper note, and shadowing the lady's brow with a frown of
annoyance.

"I suppose you let out on O'Connel, didn't you, after he got through
talking this morning?" was the first remark of the owner of Surfside.

"I couldn't say more than a word. Our license hasn't come yet, you
know."

"That's so, darn it! I never saw anything in all my born life with so
many rules attached to it as this wireless business. It is one tangle
of rules, rules, rules! You might as well be tied up in a net,"
fretted the man.

"There do seem to be a good many rules at first glance," returned Bob
pleasantly. "However, when you examine them most of them are both
necessary and wise. And after all when each radio operator knows in
black and white what he can do and what he can't it is far simpler."

"I suppose so," grumbled Mr. Crowninshield.

"Besides, there are always slackers at every job," continued Bob.
"Rules help to keep such persons up to the mark and prevent
carelessness and accidents."

"Yes, I fancy that is so," came more graciously from the still irate
gentleman.

"Then all stations are not alike. That compass station at Bell Reef,
for example, that you were asking