Would he be able to borrow a mule, and would he come?
Every few minutes he went to the door and listened for the sound of approaching hoofs, but nothing was to be heard but the low snoring of Aunt Judy, who was fast asleep in a chair by the fireplace.
While thus waiting, a happy thought came into Harry's head.

He opened the messages--he had a right to do that, of course, as he was an operator and had undertaken to transmit them--and he telegraphed them, one by one, to Harvey, with instructions to him to send them back to him.
"They shall come over the creek on our line, anyway," said Harry to himself.
It did not take long to send them and to receive them again, for there were only three of them.

Then Harvey sent a message, congratulating Harry on this happy idea, and also suggested that he, Harvey, should now ride home, as it was getting late, and it was not likely that there would be any more business that night.
Harry agreed to this, urging Harvey to return early in the morning, and then he set to work to write out the messages.

The company had not yet provided itself with regular forms, but Harry copied the telegrams carefully on note-paper, with which, with pen and ink, each station was furnished, writing them, as far as possible, in the regular form and style of the ordinary telegraphic despatch.

Then he put them in an envelope and directed them to Mr.Lyons, at Hetertown, indorsing them, "In haste.