“There,” he exclaimed at last. “You sign right there.”
“Now wait a leetle,” Blinkey Bill began to hedge. “I ain’t plumb sure fer sartin that—”
Just then the most dazzling flash of all zig-zagged its way across the blue-black sky. It was followed at once by a terrific roar.
“Here! Here!” Blinkey Bill’s voice trembled so he could scarcely speak. “Here! Gimme that air paper. Hit’s proper to sign hit, plumb proper.”
So the paper was signed. The boys departed and old Uncle Mose’s coal mine was saved for all time.
CHAPTER XIX
WITH THE SPEED OF A WHIRLWIND
Later that night had anyone happened along the mountain trail above Colonel Crider’s pasture, as Johnny Thompson had done one night some time before, they might have seen as on that other night, two dark figures darting back and forth across old Nicodemus’ pen. One led, the other followed but not once did the one catch up with the other. At last, the one that always led, climbed up the side of the pen to go tumbling over it and disappear in the shadows that lie thick along the Stone Mountain trail in the moonlight. The Kentucky football star had been having a little practice. If one were to judge by his action it might be proper to say that Nicodemus had enjoyed this nocturnal adventure quite as much as the boy.
* * * * * * * *
“Here,” Johnny was smiling as he handed a folded paper to Donald next day. “Here’s the release for Uncle Mose’s coal rights. It worked like a charm. But tell me, how did you do it?”
“Not so difficult when you know how.” Donald pointed to a long, irregularly formed glass tube in the corner. It was in three sections. “There’s a transformer up there on the ridge. The line carries power to a coal mine. Hope they don’t arrest me for stealing power. Guess they won’t if I tell my story.