Chapter THIRTY-THREE

Redmond stayed behind the rock, watching the trend of events closely when the pirate crew came off the airplane and walked over to Mary. He saw her engage in conversation with Johnston and watched them as they hurried to the hut where they all lived.

Realizing that they would be inside for some considerable time and that there was nothing further that he could do at present, he began his journey across the island to the cove on the southern shore where he had landed from the cruiser Farragut. He was anxious to get there before darkness set in, as he was not sure that he could find the hidden boat in the dark.

Instinctively he looked at his watch. It was already four thirty in the afternoon, consequently he had no time to lose, as it would be completely dark within an hour and a half. As soon as he was out of sight from the pirate’s settlement, he quickened his step as fast as the tropical growths about him would permit.

After a weary trudge he arrived at his destination, fortunately before darkness set in. He readily located the hidden boat and took from it the portable wireless set which had been included for emergency purposes to communicate with the Farragut.

It was a very remarkable piece of apparatus, so efficiently constructed that it could be carried in the hand and yet it had an effective range of twenty-five miles in daylight. Its basic principle rested upon the discovery successfully developed by Marconi and his assistants in the year 1922, by which the electro-magnetic waves were concentrated and reflected in one direction only, just as a beam of light is concentrated and reflected in a narrow band of brilliance by a mirror reflector.

Its portability was obtained by the fact that it radiated waves of only a quarter of a meter in length. To get such radiation an alternating current of 1,200,000,000 cycles per second had to be produced. This terrifically high frequency was obtained from a wonderful development of the vacuum tube--the Alladin’s lamp of radio--which had such an efficient filament that it operated from a very small dry cell.

The reflecting medium consisted of a parabolic frame arranged around the transmitter, on which were strung a number of wires which acted as the reflecting antennae. Each of these wires was one wavelength long, in other words--a quarter of a meter.

The apparatus which had been given to Redmond was designed for wireless telephone transmission and reception. A small microphone and telephone were included, both of which were arranged on a holder in such fashion that when the ’phone was at the ear of the operator the microphone naturally came before the mouth. A small push button in the center of the handle switched the apparatus over from the transmitting to the receiving condition and vice versa.

The set could either be operated upon the ground where the direction of communication was known, or from the operator’s shoulder in other cases. For the latter purpose a leather sling was attached to the framework supporting the small aerials, by which it could be suspended from the neck, thus leaving the hands of the operator free. This was a very necessary provision because the telephone-microphone had to be in one hand, and the reflector worked with the other when searching for another station whose direction was unknown.

Since Redmond did not know the whereabouts of the cruiser, which he hoped was on its way to replace the damaged Farragut, he picked up the apparatus, slung it across his shoulder and walked down the shelving rock which jutted out into the cove.

He took a position where he could command the entire southern, eastern and western approaches to the island. Although he did not know over what course the new cruiser would come, he had an idea that it would be pretty close to that which the Farragut followed when it brought him from Honolulu back to Patrocinio. With the aid of his pocket compass he figured out the bearing of this course, then turning on the current to the filament of his vacuum tube, commenced to call:

“Hello! Hello!”

For four weary hours he kept up the incessant calling, breaking it only at intervals in order to listen for a possible reply. Not a sound came to him from the black expanse beyond. By midnight he had given up all idea of getting in touch with any government vessel. After all, he thought, this was only the day after the Farragut had placed him ashore and the possibility of any relief ship being in the neighborhood so soon was very slight. He had gone there on the bare possibility that one of the other cruisers which were patrolling in the vicinity might have been intercepted and ordered to Patrocinio.

Having come to the conclusion that further calling was useless, Redmond groped his way ashore in the darkness, placed his apparatus beneath some foliage and lay down and slept.

The following morning he set up his radio in the lifeboat and made his way to his cave. During his previous stay he had discovered a narrow ledge inside just above his head. Further investigation now showed that it would make an ideal couch and, moreover, a good place to lay in hiding in the event that he was closely pressed in any search that might be made.

After a brief rest during the noon-day heat he made his way cautiously to the rock where he had always met Mary. He lay down alongside it and watched, but though he stayed there practically until sundown, he did not see a soul.

It was with very downcast heart that he made his way back to his crude habitation. He was very worried about the safety of Mary more so because of his inability to do anything that would help her. If he had only caught a glimpse of her even without being able to speak to her, his mind would have been much easier. As it was, he was a prey to all kinds of grave doubts.

He decided earlier in the day that it was practically useless to go back to the southern cove for at least three days, consequently he had to make daily trips to the rendezvous instead, in order to keep as close a watch over the pirate crew as possible and protect Mary, if necessary.

The next day passed as had the preceding one, without a sight of Mary, although on this day Redmond had seen the crew of the pirate craft moving about at various tasks around the hut and upon the airplane. Again with heavy heart, and weary mind and body he gave up his monotonous vigil and went back to his cave.