Year: 1876

ruined? \ kite in March was not "a
common sight. OF course all the
boys and idlers had flocked to see
what it meant. A number of them
had gathered at the bank, and stood
gazing at the slender thread span
ming the river, with evident interest.
As he drove up he saw yo2ng man
stOop as if to cut the line. In de-
spair he cried out:


Here, stranger! Let that line
alone


The man turned to see who spoke,
but kept hold of the string.


THAT is my line and I'll thank you
to leave it alone"


II shall not hurt it. 1 was only
/ looking to see if / couldn't use it to
pull a wire across the river. I'm the
telegraph operator, and my wires
went down with the bridge"


We'll you just hold on a bit. Let
me attend to my affairs, and then
you may put over all the wires you
+ l.ae. Say, boys, daybody want to
earu "a quarter?"


A dozen boys volunteered 1T once.


"All right. Sam Jackson. you may
do it. Help me to unload, and then
you drive the horse home. And you,
Ike Shawson, you run down to the
store and buy a pair of barn-door
hangers-the same kind that your
father had on his big red barn-door.


Sam and Ike were eager to lend
hand, and even the other boys want
/ ed to help. 1t was evident some
thing remarkable was to be done,and
they we're all eagerness to assist in
the work, whatever it might be.


There came a shout over the roar
ing river, and all turned to see what
it meant.


There stood Hero and her brother,
surrounded by number OF people
/ from their side of the village, ard all
evidently in a high state of excite
ment.


Boys, give me "a board" They
quickly found the one the former
message had been written upon.
With chalk the the young man wrote
in large letters:


Stand by the line TO haul"


Two boys held the board up, and
the party on the other bank waved
their hats to signify that they were
ready. 1t took but moment to fas-
ten the kite-string to one of the
pieces of rope, and the board was
displayed again:


Haul"


Slowly and carefully they pulled
on the line, and in a few moments the
rope swung in gigantic loop from
bank TO bank. The next move re-
quired some engineering skill. Some
advised one thing, some another, and
i'm multitude of counselors the busi-
ness seemed in a fair way to stop.


Now. look here Whose farm is
this2 Yes, my dads All right The
next fellow that bothers me by talk
Ing must leave the place. Say, Mr..
Telegrapher, what's the best way to
unroll this cable without getting it
into a kink?"


The operator suggested a stick put
through the middle of the coil and
held by boy or man on each side.
Then unroll it while they hold it up.


Presently all was ready, and the
board was displayed once more:


Haul slowly


A brief note was written on an en-
velope and tied TO the rope, and then
the great enterprise began. The rope
frightened and began to strain. Half
dozen men had hold OF tie end and
began TO walk away from the river,
while Hero's brother SUP, Jrted it at
the edge of the bluff Hero herself
stood near, gazing anxiously at all
these strange doings. She could not
understand how her Leander was to
cross, but she felt sure he would in
some fashion.


Let her turn easy. Easy, now.
Don't hold it back"


Slowly the wire rope unrolled and
} crept over the river. 1t hung down
in "a long, black loop, and nearly
: touched the river below. STEADY,
therel pay out slowly" said the tele-
graph man. Don't let it touch the
water"


, Now the end could be seen climb
, ing the opposite bank Then there
came cheer. The river was bridged.


The boy with the barn-door hang
ers returned, bringing with him a
large crowd of people, including IA
number of the detained railroad pas
. sengers and the Postmaster. The
excitement was tremendous. A wire





river evidently meant something, and
there was the utmost eagerness dis
/ played in the work.


Leander was the hero OF the hour
? This was not singular. Did not his
Hero wait for him just beyond the
! river?


Nov, gentlemen, if you'll stand
back we'll rig this thing. and then
the bridge will be finished"
, The crowd pressed back and wait
ed in silence TO see what would be
, done next. They looked over the
stream, and found the party on the
other side excited and busy.
LEND hand boys. We must
= take the cable over the first limb of
that tree and make henfast behind
( A dozen stout hands offered to help
, and presently the cable was passed
over the limb of the tree, while two
men held it fast. They looked again
| over the stream and found that. ac-
: cording TO the directions sent them
the other party had taken their end
Of the cable over a wooden tripod
made OF three fence rails Iashed to-