The Radio Boys Rescue the Lost Alaska Expedition Part 15

"Couldn't have gotten that far away in a straight line," said Frank.

"No, I guess not. But what if they aren't prepared for a call from us?"

"Oh, with that improved ring set of yours, your father will be proceeding fully equipped to hear from you," said Frank. "He need only wear the headphone, and I seem to remember he said on leaving that he would keep it on most of the time."

Jack nodded. The improvement in the ring set, spoken of by Frank, had done away with the necessity for the umbrella aerial.

"All right," he said. "I'll call Dad on 200 meters. If he gets the message we ought to hear from him shortly, for he'll at once unlimber the field transmitting set and call us back."

While Jack sent out a terse description of the fight and its outcome, Frank and Bob decided to steady their nerves by fis.h.i.+ng and went down to the lakeside. They had reasonable success and had pulled out a number of fish when Jack joined them.

"Send out your message, Jack?" Frank inquired.

"Yes, and heard from Father in reply, too."

"What? Why, great guns, how long have we been here? Surely, you can't have had time to hear from your father?"

"But, I have," affirmed Jack. "You've been here more than an hour."

Bob and Frank looked at each other. In all that time, neither had spoken a word. They had just dozed over their lines, pulling in an occasional fish. Frank laughed.

"I guess we went to sleep with our eyes open," he confessed. "Well, what did your father say?"

"They made a long trek up the lake before crossing over, and are not very far away-somewhere up in that direction-on the other sh.o.r.e, there,"

said Jack, pointing. "Dad was worried as the deuce at my story, and they're coming back."

"Coming back? Why? It's all over now."

"That's what I told him, Frank. But he's coming back, anyway. They're going to get back to the lake, and come straight down to the island.

Ought to be here in a couple of hours or less."

"May as well wait dinner for them, in that case," observed Bob. "Or what meal is it? Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? I'm sure I don't know. This perpetual suns.h.i.+ne has me all turned around. I don't know whether it's day or night."

"Same here," confessed Frank. "I do know, though, that I'm beginning to get up an appet.i.te." Then a thought, a thought which his somnolent daydreaming over the fis.h.i.+ng lines had driven away for the time, crossed his mind, and he paled. "I don't know though"-catching his breath-"whether I'll ever want to eat again."

Jack looked at him sharply. So did Bob. The big fellows noted with apprehension the twisted, stricken look on their slighter chum's face, and the haunted appearance of his eyes. To Bob's keen eyes, moreover, two hectic spots glowing brightly in the dark tan of Frank's cheeks were apparent.

"Look here, old man," said Bob, anxiously, "you want to quit thinking about that or you'll be sick."

"Sick?" Frank tried to force a laugh. "I'm the healthiest invalid ever you saw."

"No, Frank, I mean it. Put that thought out of your mind, or you will be sick. Why-"laying a hand on his brow-"you've got a fever right now."

Jack was worried, too.

"Great guns, Frank, you must take Bob's advice. What if you came down sick? We'd be in a pretty fix."

"Oh, you fellows make me tired," said Frank, irritatedly. "I'm all right."

But Bob's worry was not routed. He took his chum by an arm and started marching him toward camp.

"I'm going to give you a dose of calomel and make you lie down," he said. "Come on."

"Calomel? Have a heart."

"Yes, calomel," said Bob, firmly. "That's what you need, that and a nap."

Picking up the fish, Jack followed. And at the camp, despite Frank's vehement protests, he was made to swallow a liberal dose of calomel, and then to lie down on a couch of spruce boughs, over him the little tent belonging to Mr. Hampton to provide shade from the northern sun. Jack and Bob sat down, some distance away, and started cleaning the fish.

They talked together in low tones. Presently, after several glances toward the motionless figure, Bob arose and tiptoed close to it. On his return, he nodded, smiling slightly, at Jack.

"Asleep," he said. "Didn't want to do it, but overworked Nature was too much for him. I'm a little bit worried. His nerves got a severe shock.

But I guess he'll be all right when he wakes up."

Then he glanced more keenly at Jack.

"Look here, you've been through the same experience. I had a nap. Now you're going to take one. Sleep will be good medicine for you, too. We don't want two sick ones on our hands."

Jack didn't protest, but also turned in beside Frank, and in a few minutes was sound asleep. As Bob had said, overworked Nature claimed her dues.

CHAPTER XIV.-A REVELATION.

This time Bob did not go to sleep on the job, but at the first faint indication that somnolence was stealing upon him, arose and stamped about vigorously. Once, prompted by a humane inclination, he paused by the three prisoners who lay in the shade, hands and feet tied, and proffered them a drink of water. The courtesy and thoughtfulness was totally unexpected, as Bob could see by the surprise in their eyes, although no words were exchanged, and they drank eagerly in great gulps.

The half-breed whom Bob had pitched over his head was in considerable pain because of his wrenched arm, as Bob could see from his occasional writhings, and Bob decided to chance trouble by loosening his bonds. In addition, he rummaged their stores and brought out a bottle of liniment for sprains and bruises, with which he bathed the twisted member.

"You good man," whispered the other, gazing at him, as Bob bent to the task, and speaking in a voice barely audible to Bob's ears, and certainly not to the other two men a short distance away. "I tell you something-not now-bimeby-when they not know."

Bob thought quickly.

"All right," he responded, in the same low tone. "I'll fix it."

"Yes." The other nodded. "You fix it."

"Now what in the world has he got to tell me?" Bob asked himself, as he moved away. "Probably, something about Lupo the Wolf. At any rate, I can't see what else it can be. Was grateful because I gentled him a little-after first maltreating him." He smiled at the irony of this thought. "Well, Mr. Hampton will soon be here, no doubt. Then there will be a chance to question him apart from his fellows."

And with that, he dismissed the matter from his mind. Jack now rolled over, sat up and came out from under the tent, yawning. Frank continued sunk in heavy slumber.

"By George," said Bob, looking at his watch, "two hours since you started to take your nap. Run down to the sh.o.r.e, will you, and take a look to see if there is any sign of your father. We left these fellows alone once"-nodding to their prisoners-"but I felt it wasn't wise to try it too often. Something might happen. So I've been sticking close to camp."

Jack nodded.

"Yes, that time you were fis.h.i.+ng. It was foolish for me to run down after you, but I just had to tell you about hearing from Father."

He set out for the sh.o.r.e.

A few minutes later, Bob heard his comrade give a joyful shout. It was answered by a fainter hail from the water. Faint though it was, however, it was unmistakable. Mr. Hampton was approaching.