“Boat?” asked the man, in the manner of one inquiring whether one would have a cab. “Take you anywhere for half a dollar.” Larry mentioned where he wanted to be landed, and got in the boat. The oarsman said he would take him as near the place on the hill as he could go. “You’ll have to walk the rest of the way,” the improvised ferryman said. “I’m willing,” replied the boy. He found that the operator had set up a small tent, and was busy over his instruments, which he had attached to the telegraph line that passed over the brow of the hill. “How soon can you take messages?” asked Larry. “Oh, it’s you, eh?” asked the operator. “You were my last customer in the old place, and you’re the first one in the new.” “Will you soon be ready?” asked Larry. “In about an hour,” was the reply. The man busied himself over his instruments, connecting them to batteries he had procured and then adjusting them. Next he climbed a telegraph pole and “cut in” as it is called on the main line, fastening the wire from his machines to the regular line. Larry watched him with interest. “I’ll soon be ready for you,” said the man. “Then I’ll go back and get some copy,” said Larry. He went down to the boat which was waiting for him, and in a little while found himself back at the hotel. By this time nearly all the guests were up and the women, especially, were much frightened when they saw that the place was in the middle of a miniature lake, and that there was water in the corridor. “Don’t be alarmed,” the clerk was saying. “The water is not rising, and, though it will probably stay here for some time, there is no danger. We’ll make you as comfortable as we can, but you can’t expect many comforts.” “Have the fires gone out?” asked one man. “My room is cold.” “The water has put the fire out in the furnace down in the cellar,” was the reply, “but we’ve sent for oil stoves, and we’ll be able to give you a little heat.” The clerk’s assurances did much to quiet the excited throng, and then breakfast was announced, though it was not a very liberal meal. However, there was plenty of good hot coffee and bread and butter. “Where have you been?” asked Mr. Newton of Larry. “Looking for a telegraph office,” replied the boy in a low tone, for there were other newspaper men near by. “Did you find one?” “I did,” and then Larry whispered that the man would take messages soon. “Get some stuff ready,” he went on, “and I’ll take it to him before the other fellows locate him.” “Good idea,” said Mr. Newton. “I’ll have a bunch of copy ready in about an hour.” He hurried through the meal and went over to a table, where he began writing at a rapid rate. “How you going to get your stuff off?” asked some of the other reporters. “That’s a secret,” replied Mr. Newton good-naturedly as he went on describing in vigorous language the scenes in the flooded district, for much more of the town was under water than had been expected would be covered.