Читать книгу The Young Wireless Operator—With the U. S. Secret Service. Winning his way in the Secret Service онлайн

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As the afternoon waned, the activities on the pier almost ceased. In fact, the place was practically deserted. Out toward the end of the pier Willie had casually noticed an old fellow who was aimlessly walking about. He appeared to be a tramp. Willie would never have given him a second thought had the man not suddenly disappeared. Willie was not watching him, and in fact was not directly conscious of the man’s presence on the pier; yet suddenly Willie’s subconsciousness told him that something was missing from the picture before him. That startled Willie into conscious mental effort. What was that something and why had it disappeared?

Now Willie brought into play that mental gift he had used to such good effect in the hunt for the German dynamiters at Elk City. His comrades of the Wireless Patrol always said that Willie had a mental photograph in his head of anything he had ever looked at. He did, too. Perhaps everybody has. But Willie was able to visualize a scene as few people are able. He could see not only the broad outlines of a remembered picture, but also the minute details. And that ability, originally native, had been developed to a wonderful degree by practice. Lacking size, Willie had taken the only possible means of putting himself on a par with his fellows. He had developed his wits.