who held the ladder from below.

The next thing was to put up the wire itself, and this was done in
rather a bungling manner, if this wire were compared with that of
ordinary telegraph lines.

It was found quite impossible to stretch the wire tightly between the
poles, as the necessary appliances were wanting.

Various methods of tightening were tried, but none were very successful;
and the wire hung in curves, some greater and some less, between the
poles.

But what did it matter? There was plenty of wire, and the wind had not
much chance to blow it about, as it was protected by the neighboring
treetops.

There was no trouble in carrying the wire over the creek, as the bridge
was very near, and as trees close to each bank had been chosen for
poles, and as the creek was not very wide, the wire approached nearer to
a straight line where it passed over the water than it did anywhere
else.

At last all was finished. The "main line" wire was attached to the
copper office-wire. The batteries were charged, the register was
arranged with its paper strip, and everything was ready for the
transmission of messages across Crooked Creek.

At least, the Board hoped that everything was ready. It could not be
certain until a trial was made.