Page:Waylaid by Wireless - Balmer - 1909.djvu/187

Rh Mr. Preston, the Bahia is far out of sight beyond Land's End this morning. She is indeed a slow ship, so that she cannot reach land again for at least two weeks, and, as she carries the mails, neither can she put back to England before then, or into any other port. But by the 'wireless,' sir, the Bahia will be 'in communication' for a few hundred miles yet and for at least twelve hours!"

"I see!" the American nodded.

"And I am almost sorry!" the Englishman continued with concern. "For Manling has been very bold and very clever and most diverting. But clever as he is, he is no cleverer than his most stupid oversight. He took the police dare to do one bolder and more audacious thing under their very noses; and he did it successfully!" he cried with real admiration. "And threw them at first completely off his track; but then he attempted the one thing too much which the police can always count upon to catch the cleverest man when he becomes over-confident.

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