Page:Jack Heaton, Wireless Operator (Collins, 1919).djvu/278

 see it wasn’t such a hard job as you thought. Before we go, though, I should like to know just what you expect to do in the future.”

“Really, I don’t know, Mr. Collins, though I’ve been thinking pretty hard about it lately, too. You see, I’ve reached an age where I’ve got to boil down to business and make some money, but I don’t want any of that swivel-chair-at-a-desk-on-the-’steenth-floor-of-an-office-building for mine. I’d get into the airplane game but there’s no more money in it than there is in wireless.

“My one best thought is to get a little party together, go down to Brazil and open up a diamond mine,” and he looked fondly at the glittering stone in his ring.

“What I’d like to do is to get Bill Adams and a few other kindred spirits to go with me, clean out the, and,” his eyes bright-ened, “if you’ll join us I’ll make you King of the cannibals instead of old Oopla.”

“Declined with thanks,” I bowed regally, that is as regally as a man can bow whose back is already bent. “I haven’t the slightest desire to king it over any tribe of man-eaters, but if you will let me go with you in the capacity of