ing was to the
south, waited, thinking the receiving operator at Hammerton had opened
his key. But minute after minute passed, and finally becoming anxious, he
cut off the southern end and began calling "B," the terminal office to
the north.

"I, I," said B.

"Get H on another wire and ask him what is wrong here," Jack sent
quickly. "We are being held up on some very important stuff."

"H says it is open north of him," announced B, returning. "We are putting
in a set of repeaters here, so you can reach him this way."

A moment later Jack heard Hammerton calling him from the north, and in
another moment he was again sending rapidly.

But scarcely had Jack sent a hundred words when this wire also suddenly
failed. When several minutes again passed and no further sound came, Jack
leaned back in despair. Suddenly he sat upright. Raub and Simpson! Was it
possible 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. There
was not the faintest response. Switching the instruments to the southern
end of the wire, he repeated the test, with the same result.

On both ends the break was within a short distance of him. Undoubtedly
the wires had been cut!

Jack sprang to his feet and seized his hat. "I'll find that southern
break if I have to walk half-way to Hammerton," he said determinedly, and
leaving the office, set off down the moonlit road, his eyes fixed on the
wire overhead.

Scarcely a mile distant Jack uttered an exclamation, and, running
forward, caught up the severed end of the telegraph line.

A moment's examination of the wire showed it had been cut through with a
sharp file.

Yes; undoubtedly it was the work of Raub and Simpson, in an effort to
keep the news from the "Star," and score a "beat" for the opposition
telegraph company and the "Morning Bulletin."

"But you haven't done it yet," said Jack grimly, turning to look about
him. How could he overcome the break in the wire? As the cut had been
made close to the glass insulator on the cross-arm, only one of the two
ends hung to the ground, and he saw that he could not splice them. And in
any case he could not climb the pole and take that heavy stretch of wire
with him.

His eyes fell on a barb-wire fence bordering the road, and like an
inspiration Alex Ward's feat with the rails at Hadley Corners occurred