s leaped up, "that ought to stop her."

"And now, Mr. Moore, suppose we leave Dick here to tend the fire, and you
and Billy and I hurry back to the station, and tackle the earth on the
track. We may get enough off to let the train plow through."

"All right, certainly," agreed the farmer; and retracing their steps, the
three secured shovels and more lanterns at the depot, and soon were hard
at work on the obstructed siding.

They had been digging some ten minutes when suddenly Billy paused.
"Listen," he said. "There's a horse coming, on the run." His father and
Alex also ceased shoveling, and a moment later the quick pounding of
horse's hoofs was plainly discernible.

"It must be something urgent to make a man drive like that in the dark,"
said Mr. Moore.

The racing hoofs drew nearer, and placing his hands to his mouth he
cried: "Hello! What's up?"

There was a sound of scrambling and plunging, and out of the darkness
came a man's excited voice: "How near am I to the station?"

"Right here below you!"

"Thank God! Run quick and tell the operator there has been a landslip in
the big cutting just beyond the river! My son discovered it when coming
home by the track from a party! I thought I could get here quicker than
do anything else!"

For a moment Alex stood speechless at this further calamity, then once
more dashed for the station. To reach Zeisler, two miles west of the cut,
was the only hope for the Mail.

Rushing in to the instruments, he in feverish haste began calling "Z. Z,
Z," he whirled. "Qk! Z, Z, WS!"

There was no answer. Z heard him no more than did the despatcher.

A feeling of despair settled upon the boy. But again returned the old
spirit of determination and contriving, and spinning about in his chair,
he cast his eyes around the room for some suggestion. They halted at the
big stoneware water-cooler. With a cry he was on his feet, thinking
rapidly.

Only a few hours before, during an idle moment, the similarity of the big
jar to a gravity cell had occurred to him, and the speculation as to
whether it could not be turned into a battery if need be.

Could he really make a battery of it? If he could, undoubtedly it would
be strong enough to so increase the current in the wire that both Zeisler
and the despatcher could hear him.

He ran to a little storage closet at the rear of the room. Yes; there was
enough bluestone! But no copper, or zinc! What could he do for that?

As though dire