VI
JACK HAS HIS ADVENTURE
One afternoon a few days following the affair of the missing cash-boxManager Black appeared in the Hammerton operating room, and after aconsultation with the chief operator, called Jack Orr from his wire.
"Jack," said the manager, "there have been some important developments inthe big will case on trial out at Oakton, and the 'Daily Star' has askedfor a fast operator to send in their story to-night. The chief tells meyou have developed into a rapid sender. Would you care to go?"
"I'd be glad of the opportunity, sir," said Jack, delightedly.
"All right. The chief will let you off now, so you will have plenty oftime to catch the seven o'clock train. And now, Jack, do your best, forthe 'Morning Bulletin' is sending its news matter in by the othertelegraph company, and we don't want them to get ahead of us in any way."
When Jack reached the station, several of the newspaper men, includingWest of the "Star," already were there. Among them he saw Raub, areporter of the "Bulletin," and with him Simpson, an operator of theopposition telegraph company.
"Why, hello, kid!" said the latter on seeing Jack. "They are not sendingyou out to Oakton, are they?"
"They are," responded Jack, with pride. Simpson laughed, and, somewhatindignant, Jack passed on down the platform. On turning back, he noticedSimpson and Raub apart, talking earnestly. As he again neared them, bothglanced toward him, and abruptly the conversation ceased. At once Jack'ssuspicions were aroused, for he knew Raub had the name of being veryunscrupulous in news-getting matters, and that Simpson was not muchbetter. He determined to watch them.
But nothing further attracted his attention, and finally, the trainarriving, they boarded it, and made a quick run of the ten miles to thelittle village. There Jack headed for the local telegraph office.
He found it a tiny affair, in a small coal office on the southernoutskirts of the village. Introducing himself to the elderly ladyoperator, who was just leaving, he went to the key and announced hisarrival to the chief at Hammerton.
It was an hour later when West, the "Star" reporter, appeared. "Here youare, youngster," said he; "a thousand words for a starter. It's going tobe a great story. I'll be back in half an hour with another batch."
Promptly Jack called "H," and soon was clicking away in full swing. Butsuddenly the instruments ceased to respond. The wire had "opened." Jacktested with his earth connection, and finding the opening was to thesouth, waited, thinking the receiving operator at Hammerton had openedhis key. But minute after minute passed, and finally becoming anxious, hecut off the southern end and began calling "B," the terminal office tothe north.
"I, I," said B.
"Get H on another wire and ask him what is wrong here," Jack sentquickly. "We are being held up on some very important stuff."
"H says it is open north of him," announced B, returning. "We are puttingin a set of repeaters here, so you can reach him this way."
A moment later Jack heard Hammerton calling him from the north, and inanother moment he was again sending rapidly.
But scarcely had Jack sent a hundred words when this wire also suddenlyfailed. When several minutes again passed and no further sound came, Jackleaned back in despair. Suddenly he sat upright. Raub and Simpson! Was itpossible this was their work? Was it possible they had cut the wires?
Quickly he made a test which would show whether the breaks were near him.Adjusting the relay-magnets near the armature, he clicked the key. Therewas not the faintest response. Switching the instruments to the southernend of the wire, he repeated the test, with the same result.
On both ends the break was within a short distance of him. Undoubtedlythe wires had been cut!
Jack sprang to his feet and seized his hat. "I'll find that southernbreak if I have to walk half-way to Hammerton," he said determinedly, andleaving the office, set off down the moonlit road, his eyes fixed on thewire overhead.
Scarcely a mile distant Jack uttered an exclamation, and, runningforward, caught up the severed end of the telegraph line.
A moment's examination of the wire showed it had been cut through with asharp file.
Yes; undoubtedly it was the work of Raub and Simpson, in an effort tokeep the news from the "Star," and score a "beat" for the oppositiontelegraph company and the "Morning Bulletin."
"But you haven't done it yet," said Jack grimly, turning to look abouthim. How could he overcome the break in the wire? As the cut had beenmade close to the glass insulator on the cross-arm, only one of the twoends hung to the ground, and he saw that he could not splice them. And inany case he could not climb the pole and take that heavy stretch of wirewith him.
His eyes fell on a barb-wire fence bordering the road, and like aninspiration Alex Ward's feat with the rails at Hadley Corners occurred tohim. Could he not do the same thing with one of the fence wires? Connectthis end of the telegraph line (and fortunately it was the Hammertonend), say to the upper strand, then run back to the office and string awire from the fence in to the instruments?
To think was to act. Dragging the telegraph wire to the fence, Jacklooped it over the topmost strand near one of the posts, and wound itabout several times, to ensure a good contact. Then on the run he startedback for the telegraph office.
As he neared the little building Jack saw a figure within. Thinking the"Star" reporter had returned with further copy, he quickened his steps.At the doorway he halted in consternation. Instead of the reporter weretwo desperate-looking characters, and on the table beside them ahalf-emptied bottle and a large revolver.
Jack hesitated a moment, then stepped inside. "What are you men doinghere?" he demanded.
"Oh, hello, kiddo! We are the new operators," said one of them with tipsyhumor. "You're discharged, see? And you git, too!" he suddenly shouted,catching up the pistol. And promptly Jack "got." A few yards distant,however, he halted. Now what was he to do?
"Oh here you are, eh? Where have you been?" It was West, the "Star" man,and he spoke angrily. "I was here ten minutes ago, and found the officeempty, and if the other company could have handled my stuff yours wouldhave lost it. I've just been--"
Interrupting, Jack hastily explained, telling of the severed wire, andhis plan to bridge the break. The reporter uttered an indignantexclamation. "It's Raub's work, sure as you're born," he said hotly.
"But say, youngster, we can't permit ourselves to be beaten this way.Can't we do something?"
"We might get some help, and drive the roughs out," suggested Jack.
"No; we haven't time. And then they might put up a drunken fight andshoot somebody. Come, think of something else. You surely can get overthis new difficulty, after your clever idea for getting around the cut inthe wire."
"I don't know," replied Jack doubtfully, glancing toward the officewindow. "If there was any way of getting the instruments--"
"What could you do with them?"
"We could turn the barn there into an office. I'd run connections outthrough the back to the fence. It's just behind."
"Say--I've an idea then! If it wouldn't take you long to remove theinstruments from the table?"
"Only a couple of minutes."
"Come on," said West. Leading the way back toward the office, heexplained, "I'll get these beggars out, you hide round the corner, andsoon as the way is clear rush in and get your instruments, and duck forthe barn. I'll join you later."
"How are you going to get them out?" whispered Jack.
"Watch," said the reporter.
As Jack drew out of sight about the rear of the building hismystification was added to when he saw West pause before the door, stoopand pick up a handful of gravel. But immediately the reporter entered thedoorway and spoke his purpose was explained.
"Hello, you two big rummies," he said in his most offensive tones. "Whatare you doing here?"
The two men were in a momentarily genial mood, however, and missed theinsult. "Why, hello pard, ol' man," responded one of them cordially."Come in an' make 'self t' home. Wa
nta buy a telegraph office? Cheap?"
"Cheap! You are the cheapest article I see here," replied West, yet moreinsultingly. "What do you mean by sitting down in respectable chairs? Youought to be tied up in a cow-stable. That's where you belong."
There was an angry growl as the two men scrambled to their feet, andpeering about the corner Jack saw West back into the door.
"Come on out, you big, overgrown cowards," shouted the reporter. "I'llthrash the both of you, with one hand tied behind me!
"And take that!"
With his last words West suddenly threw the gravel full in the faces ofthe now enraged men, and spinning about, raced off down the road. Theystumbled forth, shouting with rage, and one of them fired. The bulletwent yards wide, and West ran on. Without further wait Jack darted intothe office, in a few minutes had the relay and key from the table,secured some spare ends of wire for connections, and sped for the barn.
LOOPED IT OVER THE TOPMOST STRAND, NEAR ONE OF THE POSTS.]
There all was darkness. Entering, a search with matches soon produced alantern, however. Lighting it, Jack stepped without to discover whetherits glimmer could be seen from the direction of the office. As he closedthe door West appeared, panting and laughing.
"Well, what do you think of that stunt, youngster?" he chuckled. "Did youget the instruments?"
"Yes. I was out here to learn whether the light of a lantern I foundcould be seen."
"Good head! No; it doesn't show.
"And come on! Here the beggars are again!" West led the way inside, andclosed the door behind them.
"Now what, my boy?"
"A table first. Here, the very thing," said Jack, making towards a longfeed-box at the rear of the barn.
As they cleared its top of a pile of harness West asked, "Just what isthe scheme here, youngster? I don't think I understand it."
"Oh, simple enough. I'll just run the wires out through that knot-hole,and connect one to the fence and the other to the ground."
"Simple! It looks different to me," declared the reporter admiringly."All right, go ahead. I'll get down on this box and grind out the rest ofmy story."
Already Jack was at work sorting over the odd pieces of wire he hadbrought. Finding two suitable lengths, and straightening them out, hequickly connected them to the instruments, placed the instruments in aconvenient position on the top of the box, and thrust the wire endsthrough the knot-hole. Then, hastening outside to the rear of the barn,he proceeded to connect one of them to the same strand of the fence wireto which the telegraph line was secured a mile distant. The other hedrove deep into the damp earth beneath the edge of the building. And,theoretically, the circuit was complete.
Hurriedly he re-entered the barn to learn the result.
"Well?" said West anxiously.
"There is current, but it's too weak." Jack's voice quavered with hisdisappointment. "I suppose the rusty splices of that old fence offer toomuch resistance.
"But I'm not beaten yet," he exclaimed, suddenly recovering hisdetermination. Turning from the box, he began pacing up and down thefloor. "I'll figure it out somehow if I--oh!" With the cry Jack dartedfor the door, out, and toward the office.
The intoxicated roughs were again in possession. Quietly he made his wayto a dark window adjoining the lighted window of the operating room--thewindow of a little store-room, where, the local operator had told him,the batteries were located.
The window was unlocked, and with little difficulty he succeeded inraising it. Cautiously he climbed within, and feeling about, found therow of glass jars. Quickly disconnecting two of them, he carried them tothe window-sill, clambered out, and hastened with them to the barn.
"Now I've got it, Mr. West!" he cried. "I'll have H again in fifteenminutes!"
West started to his feet. "Can't I help you?"
"All right. Come on," said Jack. And ten minutes later, working likebeavers, they had transferred to the barn the entire office battery oftwenty cells.
In nervous haste Jack connected the cells in series, then to the wire.Instantly the instrument closed with a solid click.
"Hurrah! We win! We win!" cried West, and Jack, springing to the key,whirled off a succession of H's. "H, H, H, ON! Rush! H, H--"
"I, I, H! Where have you been? What's the matter?" It was the chief, andthe words came sharply and angrily.
"The wire was cut both sides of the village," shot back Jack. "I think itwas Raub and Simpson's work. And two roughs chased me out of the officewith a revolver. Hired by them, I suppose. I've fixed up an office in thebarn, and am sending for a mile through a wire fence, to bridge the cut.Orr."
For a moment the chief was too amazed to reply. Then rapidly he said:"Orr, you are a trump! But come ahead with that report now. And make thebest time you ever made in your life. I'll copy you myself."
And there, in a corner of the big barn, by the dim light of the lantern,and to the strange accompaniment of munching cattle and restlesslystamping horses, West wrote as though his life depended upon it, and Jacksent as he had never sent before. And exactly an hour later the youngoperator sent "30" (the end) to one of the speediest feats of press workon that year's records of the Hammerton office.
Though it was 3 A. M. when Jack got back to Hammerton, he found the chiefoperator at the station to meet him. "I had to come down, to congratulateyou," said the chief. "That was one of the brightest bits of workall-round that I've heard of for years."
"But did we beat them?" asked Jack.
"We assuredly did. For didn't you know? Those two roughs later went upand cleaned out the other office--the very men who had hired them todisable us! And what with having had a slow-working wire previously, the'Bulletin' didn't get in more than five hundred words. We gave the 'Star'over three solid columns."
The manager's congratulation the following morning was as enthusiastic asthat of the chief. "And as a practical appreciation, Jack," he added, "weare going to give you a full month's vacation, with salary. We think youearned it."
When Jack returned to his wire one of the first remarks he heard was fromAlex Ward, at Bixton.
"Well, old boy," clicked Alex, "your adventure came, didn't it. And ithas me beaten to a standstill."
THERE, IN THE CORNER OF THE BIG BARN, JACK SENT AS HEHAD NEVER SENT BEFORE.]
"Nonsense. It was your stunt at Hadley Corners that suggested the trickthat got me out of it," declared Jack. "But say, the manager has given mea month's vacation. What do you think of that?"
"He did! Look here," sent Alex quickly, "come to Bixton and spend some ofit with me. I'll promise you all kinds of a good time. Though I am notsure I can guarantee anything as exciting as last night's work," headded.
Jack readily accepted the invitation. And, as it turned out, Alex mightas well have made his promise. He could have kept it.