Three minutes after Larry had “filed” his copy Peter came dashing in. He flung down a package of paper.
“Here! Get that right on the wire!” he ordered in an insolent tone.
“You’ll have to wait,” said the operator coolly. “This gentleman had his in ahead of you, and the rule here is ‘first come first served.’”
“I’ll give you five dollars if you send mine first,” said Peter.
“Look here, you little whipper-snapper!” the operator exclaimed. “I want you to understand you can’t bribe me. I wouldn’t send yours first for fifty dollars. Now you get out of this tent. You can leave your copy, and I’ll send it after I get this batch off. But the Leader stuff goes first!”
Peter, with an angry glance at Larry, slunk out.
“I’d like to give him a good switching,” muttered the operator, as he began to work his telegraph instruments preparatory to getting Larry’s copy off. “The idea of trying to bribe me!”
Larry, after seeing that Mr. Newton’s story was safe, turned to go back.
“What’s your hurry?” asked the operator. “Tell me what happened. I’ll have to wait a little while until I get a clear wire.”
Then Larry related the story of the race with Peter, and told of the latter’s mean trick.