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The Radio-Phone Boys #2
On the Yukon Trail: Radio-Phone Boys Series
On the Yukon Trail - Radio-Phone Boys Series, #2 by Roy J. Snell
Curlie Carson sat before an alcohol stove. Above and on all sides of him were the white walls of a tent. The constant bulging and sagging of these walls, the creak and snap of ropes, told that outside a gale was blowing. Beneath Curlie was a roll of deerskin and beneath that was ice; a glacier, the Valdez Glacier. They were a half day’s journey from the city of Valdez. Straight up the frowning blue-black wall of ice they had made their way until darkness had closed in upon them and a steep cliff of ice had appeared before them.
In a corner of the tent, sprawled upon a deerskin sleeping-bag, lay Joe Marion, Curlie’s pal in other adventures.
“Lucky we’ve got these sleeping-bags,” Joe drawled. “Even then I don’t see how a fellow’s going to keep warm, sleeping right out here on the ice with the wind singing around under the tent.” He shivered as he drew his mackinaw more closely about him.
Curlie said nothing. If you have read the other book telling of Curlie’s adventures, “Curlie Carson Listens In,” you scarcely need be told that Curlie Carson is a boy employed by the United States Bureau of Secret Service of the Air, a boy who has the most perfect pair of radio ears of any person known to the service.
In that other adventure which had taken him on a wild chase over the ocean in a pleasure yacht, he had had many narrow escapes, but this new bit of service which had been entrusted to him promised to be even more exciting and hazardous.
Curlie Carson sat before an alcohol stove. Above and on all sides of him were the white walls of a tent. The constant bulging and sagging of these walls, the creak and snap of ropes, told that outside a gale was blowing. Beneath Curlie was a roll of deerskin and beneath that was ice; a glacier, the Valdez Glacier. They were a half day’s journey from the city of Valdez. Straight up the frowning blue-black wall of ice they had made their way until darkness had closed in upon them and a steep cliff of ice had appeared before them.
In a corner of the tent, sprawled upon a deerskin sleeping-bag, lay Joe Marion, Curlie’s pal in other adventures.
“Lucky we’ve got these sleeping-bags,” Joe drawled. “Even then I don’t see how a fellow’s going to keep warm, sleeping right out here on the ice with the wind singing around under the tent.” He shivered as he drew his mackinaw more closely about him.
Curlie said nothing. If you have read the other book telling of Curlie’s adventures, “Curlie Carson Listens In,” you scarcely need be told that Curlie Carson is a boy employed by the United States Bureau of Secret Service of the Air, a boy who has the most perfect pair of radio ears of any person known to the service.
In that other adventure which had taken him on a wild chase over the ocean in a pleasure yacht, he had had many narrow escapes, but this new bit of service which had been entrusted to him promised to be even more exciting and hazardous.
117 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2014
8 people want to read
About the author
Roy J. Snell
247 books8 followersRoy Judson Snell wrote more than 84 novels for young adults under his own name and also using the pseudonyms David O'Hara, James Craig and Joseph Marino.
His tales were mostly directed at boys, though he wrote at least one series of mysteries for girls. He also wrote some animal fantasy tales for younger children and they began with 'Little White Fox and His Artic Friends' (1916). He was later to say that he sold the book for "the great sum of $6.24".
He also wrote a series entitled 'Radio- Phone Boys', which began with 'Curly Carson Listens In' (1922).
Born in Laddonia, Missouri, Snell moved to the Sycamore area and there he learned his father's trade of erecting windmills. He entered Wheaton academy after his 19th birthday, graduated, and then worked his way through Wheaton College, finishing with the class of
1906.
His brother's death led to him entering the ministry and he accepted the pastorate of a small church in rural Southern Illinois. After only a year he became principal of a church supported
school in the Cumberland Mountains of Kentucky. "A person could just as
likely get shot as not there," Snell once remarked, and he added, "It was a constant struggle to see who would
take over the school — the big boys or me." He eventually won and gained the respect of his students and their parents alike.
He then spent two semesters' graduate study at Harvard, after which he went as a Congregationalist missionary to Alaska. While there he was responsible for over 350 Eskimos and 2,500 reindeer. He returned to
the area the following year, and afterwards he earned his B.D. degree at Chicago Seminary and his master's degree from the University of Chicago.
He briefly served in France with the Y.M.C.A. during World War 1, service which interrupted his new-found writing
career. Once he returned to the United States he began to write in earnest.
A dozen books flowed from his pen, most of them on adventure and mystery themes for youngsters, and then the author began lecturing and for the following 30 years he gave illustrated talks about his many travels.
He had a lengthy career as a novelist, claiming that he often wrote 2,000 words per hour, and was later to say, "You have to develop a second personality to write. It's a hard thing to do. Oftentimes I felt like giving up the whole business."
He continued, "I had all the luck on my side. If I were a young man today, I'd hesitate going into a writing career. I wouldn't know where to start. Kids don't read as much today with TV and movies. No I've had my day and I got out of it just what I wanted."
Readers also got what they wanted for as a testimony to his skill, more than one and one-half million copies of his books were sold.
He died in Wheaton, Illinois.
His tales were mostly directed at boys, though he wrote at least one series of mysteries for girls. He also wrote some animal fantasy tales for younger children and they began with 'Little White Fox and His Artic Friends' (1916). He was later to say that he sold the book for "the great sum of $6.24".
He also wrote a series entitled 'Radio- Phone Boys', which began with 'Curly Carson Listens In' (1922).
Born in Laddonia, Missouri, Snell moved to the Sycamore area and there he learned his father's trade of erecting windmills. He entered Wheaton academy after his 19th birthday, graduated, and then worked his way through Wheaton College, finishing with the class of
1906.
His brother's death led to him entering the ministry and he accepted the pastorate of a small church in rural Southern Illinois. After only a year he became principal of a church supported
school in the Cumberland Mountains of Kentucky. "A person could just as
likely get shot as not there," Snell once remarked, and he added, "It was a constant struggle to see who would
take over the school — the big boys or me." He eventually won and gained the respect of his students and their parents alike.
He then spent two semesters' graduate study at Harvard, after which he went as a Congregationalist missionary to Alaska. While there he was responsible for over 350 Eskimos and 2,500 reindeer. He returned to
the area the following year, and afterwards he earned his B.D. degree at Chicago Seminary and his master's degree from the University of Chicago.
He briefly served in France with the Y.M.C.A. during World War 1, service which interrupted his new-found writing
career. Once he returned to the United States he began to write in earnest.
A dozen books flowed from his pen, most of them on adventure and mystery themes for youngsters, and then the author began lecturing and for the following 30 years he gave illustrated talks about his many travels.
He had a lengthy career as a novelist, claiming that he often wrote 2,000 words per hour, and was later to say, "You have to develop a second personality to write. It's a hard thing to do. Oftentimes I felt like giving up the whole business."
He continued, "I had all the luck on my side. If I were a young man today, I'd hesitate going into a writing career. I wouldn't know where to start. Kids don't read as much today with TV and movies. No I've had my day and I got out of it just what I wanted."
Readers also got what they wanted for as a testimony to his skill, more than one and one-half million copies of his books were sold.
He died in Wheaton, Illinois.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 22, 2020
3.5 stars
Another story in the Radio-Phone Boys series, though we don’t get the satisfaction of figuring out who the Whisperer is in this one, either. But we see Curlie learning to ride and drive reindeer! That was a pretty humorous moment.
Typical teen-hero style, he manages to accidentally save the day and conquer the outlaw, but there’s plenty left to do at the end of the book, and we’ll be joining him in the southwest in the next book.
Well narrated on Librivox.
Another story in the Radio-Phone Boys series, though we don’t get the satisfaction of figuring out who the Whisperer is in this one, either. But we see Curlie learning to ride and drive reindeer! That was a pretty humorous moment.
Typical teen-hero style, he manages to accidentally save the day and conquer the outlaw, but there’s plenty left to do at the end of the book, and we’ll be joining him in the southwest in the next book.
Well narrated on Librivox.
Displaying 1 of 1 review