"Oh, you might--in a thousand years," put in Jimmy, wickedly; "not any sooner than that, though."

"Oh, who asked you to put in your two cents' worth, you old croaker?"

said Herb, giving Jimmy a poke in his well padded ribs. "I'll win that prize just as well by not working as you will by working. You know you're too fat and lazy, to make up a set all by your lonesome."

"I'm not too lazy to try, anyway," returned the fat boy, "and that's more than some people can say."

"He's got you there, Herb," laughed Bob. "Why don't you start in and make a try for it, anyway?"

"Nothing doing," said Herb. "If I took the trouble to make a wireless outfit good enough to cop that prize, I'd expect them to pay me a thousand dollars for it instead of a measly little hundred."

"To hear you talk, anyone would think that hundred dollar bills grew on trees," said Joe. "I'll bet any money you never saw a hundred dollars all at one time, in your life."

"To tell you the truth," said Herb, "I don't really believe there's that much money in the whole world. I must admit I've never seen it, anyway."

"You'll see it when I show it to you," said Jimmy, with more show of confidence, it must be admitted, than he really felt.

"Well, remember we're all pals," said Herb. "If you win that prize, Jimmy, I get half, don't I?"

"Yes, you don't. I might blow you to an ice cream soda, but outside of that, my boy--nothing doing."

One day the hardware dealer of whom they had purchased their supplies called Bob, Joe and Jimmy into his establishment.

"Got something to show you," he declared importantly. "New box set, just from New York, and sells for only twenty-two fifty. Better than any you can make. Want to try it? There's a concert coming in from Springfield right now."

"Yes, sir, we'd like to try it, and it's good of you to let us,"

answered Bob. "But we believe in making our own sets. That's more than half the fun."

"Yes, but just wait till you hear this box set," urged the dealer.

"Then maybe you'll want to own one. A professional set is always better than an amateur one, you know."

The boys didn't know but they did not say so. They followed the man to a back room of his establishment, where the box set rested on a plain but heavy table.

"There are the ear phones, help yourselves," he said. "I've got to wait on that customer that just came in."

The three radio boys proceeded to make themselves at home around the table. They adjusted the ear phones and listened intently. There was not a sound.

"Guess the concert is over," observed Doughnuts.

"Wait till I make a few adjustments," put in Bob, and proceeded to tune up as best he could. He had been reading his book of instructions carefully of late, so went to work with a good deal of intelligence.

"There it is!" cried Joe, as the music suddenly burst upon their ears.

"Listen, fellows! They are playing Dixie!"

"And it sounds mighty good," added Jimmy enthusiastically.

"But no better than it would on our set at home," put in Bob, quickly.

"Not a bit," added Joe, loyally.

The three lads listened to another selection and then the storekeeper joined them.

"Isn't that grand?" said he. "I'll bet you can't make a box as good as that."

"Maybe we'll make something better," said Bob. "You come up to our place some day and listen to what we have."

"Then you don't think you want a box?" And the shopkeeper's voice indicated his disappointment.

"Not just yet anyway," answered Bob.

"We'd rather buy the parts from you and make our own," added Joe.

"Besides, we want to try for the Ferberton prizes."

"Oh, that's it. Well, when you want anything, come to me," concluded the dealer.

CHAPTER XVIII

FRIENDLY RIVALS

The radio boys, Herb excepted, finally decided each to make his own set without any consultation with any of the others, and submit it to be judged strictly on its merits.

"Three weeks ought to give us plenty of time," said Bob. "I'm going to do a lot of experimenting before I start in to make the real set.

Of course, the one we've already got belongs to all of us equally, and you fellows know you can come and use it any time you feel like it."

"Your mother will be putting us out if we spend much more time at your house," replied Joe. "It seems as though we have just about been living there lately."

"Oh, don't let that worry you," said Bob. "You know you're welcome at any time. Besides, we won't have to put all our time on the new sets, either. We can have plenty of fun in the evening with our present one."

The boys finally agreed to build their sets each by himself, and to say nothing about any features or improvements that they might incorporate in it. They were all enthusiastic over their chances, although they knew that the winners would have to overcome a lot of first-cla.s.s opposition.

Herb felt sorry at times that he had not started a set of his own, but his was an easy-going disposition that took things as they came, and while the other boys were studying all the books they could find on the subject and consulting Dr. Dale, Mr. Brandon having departed, he was listening to music and talk over the original set, and enjoying himself generally.

"You go ahead and have all the fun you want now," said Joe one time, when Herb was teasing him about working so hard. "My fun will come later."

"Yes--if you win the prize," said Herb. "But if you don't, you won't be any better off than I am, and you'll be out all your work besides."

"Not a bit of it," denied Joe. "Even if I don't win either prize, my set will be returned to me after the judging is over, and I'll have that to show for my trouble, anyway."

"Maybe you will, if they don't tear it all apart while they're looking it over," said Herb.

"Aw, forget it," advised Joe. "If I don't get anything out of it but the experience, I won't think that I've wasted my time."

"Well, that's the spirit, all right," said Herb. "Go to it. But you ought to have heard the concert I heard last evening while you slaves were working your heads off."

"Yes, but when I get this outfit of mine working, I'll be able to hear everything a lot better than you can with the set we've got now," said Joe. "I've got some good kinks out of a radio magazine that I'm going to put in mine, and it's going to be a regular humdinger."