Gran’ma was ahead and had started across the little bridge when the rest saw her trip and almost fall. She managed to save herself by catching the railing, and the others, as they ran toward her, heard a bell tinkling up one side of the cliff.
“Some mean person stretched a wire across the bridge and I tripped over it!” Gran’ma cried, as she showed the others the offending wire.
Johnny caught hold of it to pull it loose, but gave a whoop and started jumping up and down.
The bell up the cliff tinkled each time Johnny jumped.
Janey, wishing to help her brother, caught Johnny’s hands to pull them from the tiny wire, and with a cry she too began hopping up and down and shouting for help.
As Gran’ma reached for Janey, Gran’pa pushed her aside. “Don’t touch them!” he yelled. “It’s an electric wire! Stand back!” And with this Gran’pa took the crooked handle of his cane and jerked the wire from Johnny’s hands.
Johnny and Janey sat down with a bump upon the tiny bridge.
“O—oh Brud,” Janey laughed. “Wasn’t that funny!”
“It’s funny, now,” answered her brother, “but it wasn’t pleasant when I first touched the wire! It felt as if I was being stretched out about six feet tall!”
“You are getting longer!” Gran’ma cried, as she helped Johnny to his feet.