With a light heart, Harry telegraphed, as briefly as possible, an
account of his adventures; and then his father sent a message, telling
him that the family had heard that he had been carried away, and had
been greatly troubled about him, and that men had ridden down the stream
after him, and had not returned, and that he, Mr. Loudon, had just come
to Lewston's cabin, hoping for news by telegraph. Harvey had been there
all day. Mr. Loudon said he would now hurry home with the good news, but
before bidding his son good night, he told him that he must not think of
returning until the creek had fallen. He must stay at Aunt Judy's, or go
over to Hetertown.

When this had been promised, and a message sent to his mother and Kate,
Harry hastened to business. He telegraphed to Harvey to transmit the
company's messages as fast as he could; a boy would soon be there to
take them over to Hetertown. The answer came:

What messages?

Then Harry suddenly remembered that he had had the messages in the
breast-pocket of his coat all the time!

He dived at his pocket. Yes, there they were!

Was there ever such a piece of absurdity? He had actually carried those
despatches across the creek! After all the labor and expense of building
the telegraph, this had been the way that the first business messages
had crossed Crooked Creek!

When Harry made this discovery he burst out laughing. Why, he might as
well have carried them to Hetertown from Charity's cabin. It would