cellar, and lifted it.
A thin stream of smoke arose, then disappeared as a draft toward the rear
set in. With a thankful "Good!" Jack leaped into the opening.

His father, the mayor, and several others who had rushed after in
consternation reached the sidewalk as Jack's head reappeared, followed by
a green battery jar. Placing the jar on the ledge, he stooped, and raised
another.

"What do you think you are doing?" cried his father.

"I'll explain in a minute. Take them over to the post, please." And Jack
had again disappeared.

The mayor promptly caught up the two cells, but Mr. Orr as promptly
dropped through the opening and followed Jack.

"What are you trying to do?" he demanded as he groped his way to the
battery-shelf. "You can't do anything with the battery if you have no
instrument."

"The instrument is all right, Father. The line has been 'grounded' south,
that's all. If we put battery on here, we can reach some office between
here and wherever the 'ground' is on."

"May it be so," said Mr. Orr fervently, but not hopefully, as they
hurried with four more jars to the entrance.

When they had carried out a dozen jars Jack declared the number to be
sufficient, and scrambling forth, they hastened back to the lamp-post.

Without delay Jack connected the cells in proper series, and removing the
wire between the instrument and the iron post, substituted the
battery--zinc to the post, and copper to the instrument.

Then once more he caught up the severed end of the main-line wire, and
touched the opposite side of the instrument.

A cry of triumph, then a mighty shout, greeted the responding click.

"But what about a key, son?" said Mr. Orr.

"This, for the moment," replied Jack, and simply resting his elbow on his
knee, and tapping with the end of the wire against the brass
binding-post, he began urgently calling.

"HN, HN, HN!" he clicked. "HN, HN, HV! Rush! Qk! HN, HN!"

"Perhaps the wire is grounded between here and Hammerton," suggested his
father breathlessly.

"Anybody answer! Qk!" sent Jack. "Does anybody hear this?"

"What's the matter? This is Z."

"Got Zeisler!" shouted Jack.

The mayor stepped forward. "Send them the message," he directed, "and
have them 'phone it to Hammerton."

Jack did so. And fifteen minutes later the cheering news ran quickly
about the threatened town that two steam fire-engines were starting by
special train from Hammerton immediately, would pick up another at