"Now what, my boy?"

"A table first. Here, the very thing," said Jack, making towards a long
feed-box at the rear of the barn.

As they cleared its top of a pile of harness West asked, "Just what is
the 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 of
my story."

Already Jack was at work sorting over the odd pieces of wire he had
brought. Finding two suitable lengths, and straightening them out, he
quickly connected them to the instruments, placed the instruments in a
convenient position on the top of the box, and thrust the wire ends
through 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 wire
to which the telegraph line was secured a mile distant. The other he
drove 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 his
disappointment. "I suppose the rusty splices of that old fence offer too
much resistance.

"But I'm not beaten yet," he exclaimed, suddenly recovering his
determination. Turning from the box, he began pacing up and down the
floor. "I'll figure it out somehow if I--oh!" With the cry Jack darted
for the door, out, and toward the office.

The intoxicated roughs were again in possession. Quietly he made his way
to a dark window adjoining the lighted window of the operating room--the
window 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 in
raising it. Cautiously he climbed within, and feeling about, found the
row of glass jars. Quickly disconnecting two of them, he carried them to
the 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 fifteen
minutes!"

West started to his feet. "Can't I help you?"

"All right. Come on," said Jack. And ten minutes later, working like
beavers, they had transferred to the barn the entire office battery of
twent