The Young Wireless Operator—As a Fire Patrol: Or, The Story of a Young Wireless Amateur Who Made Good as a Fire PatrolTheiss, Lewis E. (Lewis Edwin)
General
The Young Wireless Operator—As a Fire Patrol: Or, The Story of a Young Wireless Amateur Who Made Good as a Fire Patrol
Theiss, Lewis E. (Lewis Edwin)
Forest fires -- Prevention and control -- Juvenile fiction; Radio operators -- Juvenile fiction
Hardly had he spoken before a great trout darted across the stream,
almost at their feet. Charley extended his rod over the water and waved it
vigorously a few times. Instantly trout darted out from a dozen different
points.
"Gee whiz!" shouted Charley. "Did you see 'em, Lew? I can hardly wait to
get a line in."
"We've got to get our camp made before we do any fishing," replied Lew.
"Let's hustle up and find a good camp site."
They walked rapidly up the valley, keeping a few yards back from the brook
so as not to alarm the trout.
"I don't know how our wireless will work among all these trees," said Lew.
"If we could find an open spot I'm sure it would be better."
Presently they came to exactly the sort of place they desired. At some
time, evidently within a few months, for no brush had as yet sprung up, a
hurricane had swept through the forest: and where it had passed lay a
windrow of trees as flat as a swath of grain after the scythe has gone
through it. The windrow was several rods in width, and not a tree remained
standing within that space. The fallen trees were piled upon one another
in confused masses.
For a time the boys gazed at the scene with awe. "That opening will make a
fine place to hang our aerial if we can get the wires up," said Lew. "I
believe that we have enough wire to hang 'em up pretty high and still have
a long lead-in wire. If there is, then we can camp back here under the
trees close to the run. We have no tent and the dense tops will protect
us from dew. It'll be much warmer back among the trees, too."
Speedily they found a place that suited them. They put their packs on the
ground and got out their wireless instruments. Then they made some rude
spreaders from branches that Lew cut in the windrow. When the aerial was
ready to hang up, Charley took a length of wire and made his way across
the windrow and up a slender tree that stood on the farther edge of the
opening. He fastened one end of the wire to the spreader and the other end
he attached to the tree. Lew was duplicating his movements on the other
side of the opening. In no time the aerial was swinging above the windrow,
and the lead-in wire had been brought back through the trees to the camp
site. Here the instruments were connected and the wire coupled to them.
The dry cells were next wired and the outfit was then ready. Lew sat down
beside the spark-gap and pressed the key. Bright flashes leaped from point
to point. He adjusted the gap, so as to get the best spark, then laid the
pack bags over the instruments.
"We missed out on listening to Roy this time," he said, "but I'll bet we
can raise the rest of the bunch. She works fine. We've got a dandy spark."
"Good!" cried Charley. "It won't be long before it is dark. It's already
twilight under these trees. Now for the trout."
Chapter VI
Trout Fishing in the Wilderness
"Shall we go up-stream or down?" asked Lew, as he jointed his little rod
and fastened a hook to his line.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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