He jumped up and examined the instrument and the battery.
Everybody had something to say, and some advice to give.
Even old "One-eyed Lewston" pushed his way up to Harry, and exclaimed: "Oh, Mah'sr Harry! Ef you want to grease her, I got some hog's-lard up dar on dat shelf." But Harry soon thought he found where the fault lay, and, adjusting a screw or two, he tried the key again.

This time his call was answered.
"Click! click! click! click!" went the instrument.
Wild with excitement, everybody crowded closer to Harry, who, with somewhat nervous fingers, slowly sent over the line of the Crooked Creek Telegraph Company its first message.
When received on the other side, and translated from the dots and dashes of the register, it read thus: To Kate .-- Ho-ow are you?
Directly the answer came swiftly from the practised fingers of Mr.
Lyons: To Harry .-- I am very well.
This message had no sooner been received and announced than Harry, followed by every one else, rushed out of the house, and there, on the other side of the creek, he saw his father and mother and Kate and all the rest hurrying out of Aunt Judy's cabin.
Mr.Loudon waved his hat and shouted; "Hurrah!" Harry and the Board answered with a wild "Hurrah!" Then everybody took it up, and the woods rang with, "Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" The Crooked Creek Telegraph Line was a success..