t!" The other man, hundreds of miles away, almost fell out of his
chair. Recovering himself, he shot out another message:

"Who is this?"

"Never mind that, just for the present."

"Say, you're not that fresh fellow himself talking just to kid us, are
you?"

"No, I'm far from joking. I expect to make some money out of this."

"A reward?"

"That's the idea."

"Well, there's no doubt but you would get it if you really have the
information. The department's been all up in the air ever since that
fellow butted in."

"Are you going to report this conversation?"

"Most assuredly."

"Don't forget that I demand a substantial reward for the information."

"I won't. When will you call me again?"

"About this time to-morrow night."

"All right, then. Good-by."

Thurman took the receiver from his head with a slow smile of
satisfaction.

"I guess that will cook that fresh kid's goose," he said. "It's a mean
thing to do, maybe, but I need the money, and I'm glad to get a chance
to set him down a peg or two."

Thurman could hardly wait for the next night to come. During the day
Jack had been having some more fun with the navy men, driving them
almost wild. When Thurman finally got Washington, therefore, everything
in the government's big wireless station was at fever heat. A high
official of the navy sat by the operator, waiting for Thurman's promised
call to come out of space.

Men of the Secret Service were scattered about the room as well as
department officials. The air was tense with expectancy. At last
Thurman's message came.

His first question was about the reward.

"Tell him he will be liberally rewarded," ordered the naval official.
"Tell him to give us the information at once. That fellow has been
playing with us all day, and we've been powerless to outwit the
Universal Detector, or whatever device it is he uses. The man must be a
wizard to have solved a problem that has baffled the keenest minds in
the Navy Bureau."

"Reward is assured you," flashed back the naval operator. "Now give us
your information. Time is precious."

But Thurman's answer proved disappointing to those in the room.

"Impossible to do so now. Inventor is on the high seas. Will wireless
you later when he will return."

"Confound it," grumbled the naval official. "I thought we would have had
our hands on the fellow before daylight. Now it seems we shall have to
play a waiting game."

"If the man is on the high seas, it i