CHAPTER IV

MYSTERIOUS FORCES


The boys broke out in roars of laughter in which the doctor joined
heartily.

"You see how it is," he said, as the song came to an end. "There's
hardly anything you can think of that you can't hear over the wireless
telephone. It takes you anywhere you want to go in a fraction of a
second. In the last few minutes, we've covered quite a section of the
United States, and with a still stronger instrument we could go right
out to the Pacific coast and hear the barking of the sea lions at the
Golden Gate."

"Wonder if we could hear the barking of the hot dogs at Coney Island,"
whispered the irrepressible Herb, who would have his joke.

Bob nudged him sharply and Herb subsided.

"And you can pick out any kind of entertainment you want," the doctor
went on. "The great stations from which this music was sent out have
programs which are published every day, together with the exact time
that the selections will be given. At a given minute you can make your
adjustment and listen to a violin solo, a band concert, a political
speech, a sermon, or anything else that you want. If it doesn't please
you, you can shut it off at once, which is much easier and pleasanter
than getting up and going out from an audience.