Page:Waylaid by Wireless - Balmer - 1909.djvu/190

Rh they could call London by telegraph; and, when they have taken Mr. Manling's description, catch him and clap him into jail."

"That is so!" The American leaned back and considered the flying landscape a moment, but the girl bent brightly forward.

"I hate to be stupid, Mr. Dunneston," she said. "But the 'wireless'—I do not quite understand it yet."

"You mean its operation?"

"Of course, I knew we had a Marconi installation on the boat coming over this year, and I even sent and received messages. But I do not quite understand yet how the police will use it to get their information from the Bahia."

"It is not difficult to explain, Miss Varris. Doubtless you recall the sets of long wires which stretched up the foremast, and then horizontally from mast to mast of the vessel which brought you over? Those were the aerial wires of the ship's installation. As I said, we shall soon see upon our left the tall iron mast supporting the high, vertical aerials 168