| A book in the tradition of the Radio Boys stories from the
1920's and 1930's by authors such as Alan Chapman and Gerald Breckenridge.
Join antique radio collectors Terry, Gary and Jimmy in their action-packed adventures as they challenge the evil Dr. Krull for the preservation of the radio heritage of the world.
5.5 x 8.5 inch paperback. 51 pages. With color cover and 5 black and white illustrations by Dave Crocker. Published in 1992 by Antique Radio Classified. Stan Dryer is the pseudonym for Frank Bequaert, a partner in Bequaert Old Books. See the cover illustration to the right. Read the beginning of Chapter 1 below. |
 |
CHAPTER 1: IN THE NICK OF TIME
"Fire!" cried Terry Johnson. He set down the bag of old radio components he was carrying and broke into a run towards Beaucart Mansion. His two chums, Jimmy Carver and Gary Staunton, were close behind him.
Thick black smoke pouring from a first floor window of the house gave every indication of a serious fire in progress. It was fortunate that the Antique Radio Boys had spotted the fire, for the mansion, owned by the millionaire Frank Beaucart, was set in an isolated part of Cartwright, New York. The three young men had taken a short cut home from the town dump where they had been searching for old radios and components for their collections when they spotted the mysterious smoke.
As the boys rush towards the fire, this will be a good time to introduce them. Terry, the leader of the crew, was a tall lad with an open manner. A junior at Cartwright High and the treasurer of the Antique Radio Club, he was known as an honest youth who could be trusted to face up to a bully or to give a fair appraisal of the price of a radio set.
Jim was a boy of a darker temperament. Not as outgomg a fellow as Terry, he was as honest at heart as his companions and could be counted on to hold up his end in any crisis.
Gary, the youngest of the three, was a plump and easy going lad with the priceless gift of being able to see the humor in a dark situation. While his jokes sometimes missed the mark, his affectionate nature won for him the friendship of all but the hardest of heart.
But enough of introductions and back to our story. The three boys had reached the mansion. From within could be seen the orange flicker of flames. "Try the door!" cried Terry.
Jim tried the knob of the front door and found it locked. "Give it a go, Gary!" he cried, and the stout lad threw his weight against the door. It burst inward, and the boys rushed into a foyer larger than most living rooms.
"Holy Heterodyne!" cried Gary. "Look at all those radios!" They were in a room surrounded by shelves full of vintage radios. Even through the smoke they could see that there were many unique and valuable models. They had heard rumors that the reclusive Frank Beaucart was a collector, but they had no idea of the magnitude or importance of his collection.
"We better start saving what we can," cried Gary, "or all of these sets are going to be wire-less!"
"Wait," said Terry. "We'd better check to make sure that no one is in here." He dashed forward to a door at the rear of the foyer and burst through it. His quick thinking was fortunate, for there bound and gagged in a chair was a lovely young lady of no more than sixteen years. The terror in her eyes revealed her knowledge of the impending danger.