Part 25 (1/2)

This was not very encouraging. It was seldom that the creek was up more than five days at a time, and so this was a very favorable opportunity of testing the value of the line as a money-making concern.

It was urged, however, by the more sanguine members of the Board that this was not a fair trial. There had been many expenses which probably would not have to be incurred again.

”But they didn't amount to so very much,” said Kate, who, as Treasurer, was present at the meeting. ”Aunt Judy only charged a dollar and a half for Harry's board, and the boat was only a dollar. And all the other expenses would have to be expected any time.”

After some further conversation on the subject, it was thought best to attend to present business rather than future prospects, and to appoint committees to collect the money due the company.

Harry and Tom Selden were delegated to visit the mica-mine people, while Harvey, Wilson Ogden, and Brandeth Price composed the committee to collect what was due from private individuals.

Before Harry started for the mica mine, he consulted his father in regard to charging full price for the telegrams which he carried across the creek in his pocket.

Mr. Loudon laughed a good deal at the transaction, but he told Harry that there was no reason why he should not charge for those telegrams.

He had certainly carried them over in the first place, and the subsequent double transmission over the wire was his own affair.

When Harry and Tom rode over to the mica mine the next morning, and explained their business and presented their bill, their account was found to be correct, and the amount of the bill was promptly handed to them.

When this little business had been transacted, Mr. Martin, the manager of the mine, invited them to sit down in his office and have a talk.

”This line of yours,” said he, ”is not going to pay you.”

”Why not?” asked Harry, somewhat disturbed in mind by this sudden statement of what he had already begun to fear was an unpleasant truth.

”It _has_ paid us,” said Tom Selden. ”Why, we've only been working it five days, on regular business, and we've cleared--well, we've cleared considerable.”

”That may be,” said the manager, smiling, ”but you can't have made very much, for you must have a good many expenses. The princ.i.p.al reason why I think it won't pay you is that you have to keep up two stations, and you all live on this side of the creek. I've heard that one of you had a hard time getting over the creek last week.”

”That was Harry,” said Tom.

”So I supposed,” said Mr. Martin; ”and it must have been a pretty dangerous trip. Now it won't do to do that sort of thing often; and you can't tell when the creek's going to rise, so as to be over before the bridge is flooded.”

”That's true,” said Harry. ”Crooked Creek doesn't give much notice when it's going to rise.”

”No, it don't,” continued Mr. Martin. ”And it won't do, either, for any one of you to live on the other side, just to be ready to work the line in time of freshets. The creek isn't up often enough to make that pay.”

”But what can we do?” asked Harry. ”You surely don't think we're going to give up this telegraph line just as it begins to work, and after all the money that's been spent on it, and the trouble we've had?”

”No, I don't think you are the kind of fellows to give up a thing so soon, and we don't want you to give it up, for it's been a great deal of use to us already. What I think you ought to do is to run your line from the other side of the creek to Hetertown. Then you'd have no trouble at all. When the creek was up you could go down and work this end, and an arrangement could easily be made to have the operator at Hetertown work the other end, and then it would be all plain sailing. He could send the telegrams right on, on the regular line, and there would be no trouble or expense with messengers from the creek over to Hetertown.”

”That would be a splendid plan,” said Harry; ”but it would cost like everything to have a long line like that.”

”It wouldn't cost very much,” said Mr. Martin. ”There are pine woods nearly all the way, by the side of the road, and so it wouldn't cost much for poles. And you've got the instruments for that end of the line.

All you'll have to do would be to take them over to Hetertown. You wouldn't have to spend any money except for wire and for tr.i.m.m.i.n.g off the trees and putting up the wire.”

”But that would be more than we could afford,” said Tom Selden. ”You ought just to try to make the people about here subscribe to anything, and you'd see what trouble it is to raise money out of them.”

”Oh, I don't think you need let the want of money enough to buy a few miles of wire prevent your putting up a really useful line,” said Mr.

Martin; ”our company would be willing to help you about that, I'm sure.”

”If you'd help, that would make it altogether another thing,” said Harry; ”but you'd have to help a good deal.”