"How are you, Captain Hedge?" he said. Then, stepping to the table, he
picked up the tape.

"Everything all right, Mr. Hazeltine?" he asked. "Hello! What does this
mean? They say they have been calling for two hours without getting an
answer. How do you explain that?"

It was very quiet in the room when the electrician answered.

"The recorder here was out of adjustment, sir," he said simply.

"Out of adjustment! I thought you told me everything was in perfect
order before you left this morning."

"I thought so, sir, but I find the screw was too loose. That would
account for the call not reaching us."

"Too loose! Humph!" The superintendent looked steadfastly at Hazeltine,
then at the operators, and then at the electrician once more.

"Mr. Hazeltine," he said at length, "I will hear what explanations you
may have to make in my office later on. I will attend to the testing
myself. That will do."

Captain Eri silently followed his young friend to the back door of the
station. Hazeltine had seen fit to make no comment on the scene just
described, and the captain did not feel like offering any. They were
standing on the steps when the big operator, McLoughlin, came out of the
building behind them.