Later that afternoon a telephone call interrupted Tom as
he worked in his lab on a sonic-communications system for the hydrolung
apparatus.
"This is Lester Morris," said the voice at the other end of the line.
The name did not register with Tom at first until his caller added, "I
hear you're planning a square dance Tuesday night at the yacht club."
Suddenly Tom remembered. Lester Morris was a popular dance orchestra
leader in and around Shopton. He was also much in demand as a
square-dance caller and fiddler.
"That's right," Tom said with a chuckle. "News must travel fast. We just
phoned invitations to our friends."
Morris asked if musicians had been hired for the evening. When Tom said
No, his caller volunteered for the job, offering to provide a small
combo of country-style players. His asking price sounded like a bargain
rate, and Tom, knowing Morris's reputation, was only too glad to engage
him.
"Lucky break, his calling," the young inventor thought as he hung up.
Bud was delighted to hear of the arrangement when he came into the
laboratory a while later. The boys talked over their dance plans for a
few moments, then Bud asked:
"How's our underwater talkie system coming?"
Tom scratched his jaw thoughtfully. "A bit tricky but not too
difficult," he replied. "It's mostly a job of adapting the sonarphone
arrangement from our Fat Man suits--in miniature.
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