o the pool with a spade brought for the purpose.

"Yes, and the muddy water in it will do for the mixture of acid and
water," said Madge.

As she spoke, Robin's toe caught on a root, and he went headlong into
the battery, out of which he emerged scarcely recognisable. It was a
severe, though not an electric, shock, and at first Robin seemed
inclined to whimper, but his manhood triumphed, and he burst into a
compound laugh and yell, to the intense relief of Madge, who thought at
first that he had been seriously injured.

"Never mind, Madge," said Robin, as he cleansed his muddy head; "cousin
Sam has often told me that nothing great was ever done except in the
face of difficulties and dangers. I wonder whether this should be
counted a difficulty or a danger?"

"At first I thought it a danger," said Madge, with a laugh, "but the
trouble you now have with the mud in your hair looks like a difficulty,
doesn't it?"

"Why, then, it's both," cried Robin. "Come, that's a good beginning.
Now, Madge, you get away round to the opposite side of the pool, and
mind you don't slip in, it's rather steep there."

"This is England," cried Robin, preparing to throw the line over to his
assistant, who stood eager to aid on the other side, "and you are
standing on--on--what's on the other side of the German Ocean?"

"I'm not sure, Robin. Holland, I think, or Denmark."

"Well, we'll say Denmark. Look-out now, and be ready to catch. I'm
going to connect England and Denmark with a submarine cable."

"Stay!" cried Madge, "is that the way submarine cables are laid, by
throwing them over the sea?"

"N-no, not exactly. They had a steamboat, you know, to carry over the
telegraph from England to France; but we haven't got a steamer--not even
a plank to make-believe one. Cousin Sam says that a good workman can do
his work with almost any tools that come to hand. As we have no tools
at all, we will improve on that and go to work without them. Now,
catch!"

Robin made a splendid heave--so splendid indeed that it caused him to
stagger backward, and again he stumbled into his own _battery_! This
time, however, only one leg was immersed.

"Another danger!" shouted Madge in great glee, "but I've caught the
cable."

"All right. Now make fast the shore-end to a bush, and we'll commence
telegraphing. The first must be a message from the Queen to the King of
Denmark--Or is it the President?"

"King, I think, Robin, but I'm not sur