Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation

Very many operators in the oil region looked upon Bob as one of the best prospectors there, and while they fully understood his reckless manner, and agreed that it could not be said that he was strictly truthful, they had the most perfect confidence in his reports on land.

Therefore, it was no vain boast when Bob said that if there were good signs of oil on the Simpson wood-lot, he could easily borrow money enough to sink a well, for almost any one of the capitalists of Bradford would have been willing to make the loan upon his representations.

This wood-lot of Simpson's had attracted Bob's attention some time before, as the reader already knows, and, despite the assertions of some oil prospectors to the contrary, he had always maintained that a good paying well would be found there.

It had been his intention to buy the land; but he had neglected to do so, as he was in the habit of neglecting his own business until it was too late. But he would be satisfied to prove that he had been correct in his views by striking oil there, even if he was opening the property for some one else, and just then he saw the opportunity of doing a favor for his friend at the same time that he proved the truth of his own statements.

On the morning after he had spoken of his "scheme" to Ralph, he was up some time before the sun was, even though he had watched by George's side until midnight, and was only waiting for the professional nurse to relieve Ralph from his duty of watcher, before beginning the work he had proposed to do.

During the night it had seemed as if George had recovered consciousness for a few moments, although he had not spoken, and the physician, who had remained at the farm-house, was called to the patient's side.

This brief revival of consciousness, to be followed immediately by a fever, was what the medical man had predicted, and he then said that George would appear to be very much worse in the morning; but that it was the turning of the fever which would show whether he was ever to regain the full possession of all his faculties.

Therefore, when the morning came, and George, in a high fever, seemed to be very near death his friends were much less alarmed for his safety than they would have been, had the change not been expected.

It was unfortunate that he could not have been removed to the Kenniston farm, where he would have been nearer medical aid in case he should need it suddenly; but he could not have been taken where he would have received more tender or devoted care then he did from Mr. Simpson and his wife.

The only possible aid which either Ralph or Bob could have given, after they had relieved the nurse of the care of watching during the night, would have been in case they were needed to go to town for anything which the patient might require. Except for that, they might as well be out prospecting as remaining at the farm-house.

Therefore, in order that they might both be away, and feel perfectly at ease, Bob had arranged with Dick to come over and remain during the day with Jim, to act as messenger in case there was any necessity for it.

Bob's horses were there, and after breakfast, when Jim had arrived, and the nurse had resumed her duties, there was really nothing to prevent them from going where they pleased.

Much as he wanted to go with Bob, Ralph was uncertain as to whether he should leave his friend until after he had spoken with the physician regarding it, and then, learning that he could be of no possible assistance by remaining, he announced that he was ready to begin the work of prospecting again, which had been brought to such a sad end the day previous.

Bob started out excited by the thought of what they would accomplish, and so intent upon his scheme that he rattled on with explanations of how this or that might be accomplished, until Ralph began to look upon sinking an oil well as mere child's play, and quite convinced that it could easily be done, even without capital.

Both the boys were satisfied that there were no signs of oil in such localities as they had examined the day previous, therefore there was no occasion for them to do that work over again, and Bob began his labors by starting through the wood-lot in an entirely different direction, which brought them to a small stream, or marsh, which ran directly across the land.

The water-course, if such it could be called, was nearly dried up, but Bob showed every signs of delight at finding it so easily, and said to Ralph, as he began to wade along its course, regardless alike of wet feet or mud-plashed clothing:

"Here is where we shall find the first signs, if there is any oil around here. Follow me, and sing out when you see any greasy-looking water in these little pools."

It is quite probable that Ralph would have waded in streams which were almost entirely covered with oil, and yet never have "sung out" once, for he was at a loss to know how oil-covered water should look; but before they had traveled twenty yards, Bob said, excitedly:

"Why don't you say something? I thought you would like to be the first one to discover signs on your own land, so I have held my tongue for the last five minutes, expecting to hear you shout."

"But what shall I say?" asked Ralph, in surprise. "I haven't seen any oil yet."

"Well, you're a fine prospector, you are!" and Bob looked at his companion as if in the most perfect amazement that he did not understand fully the business which he had had no experience in. "What do you call that?" and Bob pointed to the water-pools that were covered with something which showed different colors, not unlike a soap-bubble.

"I've seen that queer-looking water for some time," replied Ralph, innocently; "but that isn't oil."

"You may think so," said Bob, with a laugh, "but you let some of these oil operators from Bradford see that, and then it would do your heart good to hear them offer you big prices for the land. That's oil, my boy, and it shows up as plain as the nose on your face. We'll follow this swale up until we find where the oil ceases, and then I'll show you a place where you can sink a well without a possibility of losing any money by the operation."

Ralph was now quite as eager and excited as his companion was, and the two splashed on through the mud and water, feeling much as gold-seekers do when they believe they are following up the leads to that precious metal.

Up the marshy land they walked until they were very nearly in the center of the lot, and then Bob stopped, with a gesture of satisfaction.

At this point the difference in the water was very marked, the line of oil, as it oozed out from a little bank, showing clearly, while above the water was pure.

"There's one thing certain," said Bob, triumphantly, as he stood upon the sponge-like bank which afforded him so much satisfaction to see. "Those who have laughed at me because I insisted that the oil belt extended in this direction would feel kind of foolish if they could see this, wouldn't they?"

"But is it what you might call a good showing?" asked Ralph, still incredulous that this land, which they had purchased only through charity for Mr. Simpson, should prove so valuable.

It seemed to him that Bob must be mistaken, or those living in the vicinity would have discovered it some time before.

"Well, I should say it was a good showing," cried Bob, excitedly. "Why, Gurney, there isn't one well out of twenty that are sunk which looms up like this. It will yield a thousand barrels if it yields a pint."

The only question, then, as to whether it was really valuable property, it would seem, was whether it would yield the pint; and, if one could judge from Bob's face, there was no doubt about that.

He was radiantly triumphant – not that he had discovered the oil, for others had done that before him, but that his views on the location of the oil belt had proved correct, and he was determined that by his efforts the supply should be made to yield, even though he could have no pecuniary interest in the matter.

"We'll sink the well here, and I'll begin the work this very afternoon," he said. "But first we must go back to the house, and we'll mark our way, so that there'll be no difficulty about finding the spot again."

Then Bob started toward the farm-house, walking rapidly, as if his feet could hardly be made to keep pace with his thoughts, and breaking off the tops of the bushes to mark the way.

"But how are you going to work without money?" asked Ralph, almost doubting if his companion was quite right in his mind.

"Do you think that a sight of that place isn't as good as a big bank account? Why, we only need about three thousand dollars to do it all."

"Three – thousand – dollars!" echoed Ralph.

"That's all. You write to your father, tell him what we have found, and ask him to send the money right on," said Bob, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"And do you suppose he would send such an amount of money simply for the asking?"

And Ralph's doubts in regard to the moonlighter's sanity increased each moment.

"It don't make much difference whether he does or not," was the careless reply. "I can get everything we need to go to work with on the strength of that showing, and I tell you that we'll have that well flowing just as soon as possible. But you write to your father, ask him to come on and see what we have got, and, after he has talked with those who are in the business here, he won't hesitate about the money."

"Yes, I can do that," said Ralph, slowly, but doubting very much whether he could accomplish anything by it. "But it will take three or four days at least before we can hear from him."

"That don't make any difference, for it won't delay us. I'm going to start right out to buy the engine, and by the time we hear from him, we shall be at work."

By this time they were at the stable, and Bob began harnessing his horses, in proof of what he said.

"I wouldn't do that," expostulated Ralph. "It may not be as good as you think it is, and you may get into an awful lot of trouble about it."

"Look here, Gurney," said Bob, impressively. "There's oil there – plenty of it – and I know what I'm about. You just let me alone, and by the time Harnett is able to understand anything, I'll be ready to prove to him that both he and you are rich, all through your charitable idea of buying Simpson's wood-lot."

CHAPTER XXV.

THE WORK BEGUN

After deciding in his own mind that he would sink a well in the place he had found, taking the work and debts upon himself when it was all to be for the pecuniary advantage of his friend, Bob was not one to lose any time.

As soon as he got back to the house and could harness his horses, he had started for Bradford to make arrangements for the purchase, on credit, of such machinery as was needed, and all this had been done so quickly that Jim and Dick were not aware he had returned from prospecting until they saw him driving away.

As a matter of course they questioned Ralph as to why their partner had left so hurriedly, and his reply excited them wonderfully.

He told them of what Bob had found, and then he realized how good the evidences of oil were, for the boys were in a perfect fever of delight as he explained what they had seen. Then he told them of what he thought was a mad scheme on Bob's part, his intention to begin sinking a well even before he had any money to carry on the work, and instead of being surprised at their partner's rashness, as he had expected they would be, they seemed to think it a very natural course for him to pursue.

They had quite as "wild" an attack as Bob had had, and although Ralph was surprised at it then, he soon grew accustomed to such phases of the "oil fever," after he had seen more of the business.

Jim and Dick insisted on going out to see what their partner had discovered, not satisfied with Ralph's description, and while they were gone he tried to convince himself that this possibility of his becoming rich, even before he had been obliged to struggle with the world, was true, and not a dream.

He was sitting on the wood-pile, arguing to himself as to whether Bob might not be mistaken, when Mr. Simpson came out of the house with the report that George was sleeping, and he decided to tell him the news, to see if he would be as confident as the others.

But before he could speak, Jim and Dick came up, panting, but triumphant.

"That's the biggest thing I ever saw!" said Jim, as he wiped the perspiration from his face, and then turning to Mr. Simpson, he added, "That wood-lot is worth about a thousand times as much as you got for it."

"Eh? What's that?" asked the old man, with his hand to his ear, as if distrustful that it had performed its duty correctly.

"Why, Bob has found the oil."

"Yes," added Dick, "and it shows up better than anything I ever saw around here."

"It is true, Mr. Simpson," said Ralph, as the old man still looked incredulous. "Bob found signs of oil this morning, which he says are wonderfully good. I don't wonder that you can't believe it, for I haven't succeeded yet, and I was with Bob when he found it."

"Oil on the wood-lot!" repeated Mr. Simpson, in a dazed sort of way.

"Yes, sir, and tanks of it!" replied Jim.

"I am more glad than I can say," replied the old man, fervently, "for now you and Mr. Harnett will be rewarded for your generosity to an old man whom you hardly knew or cared for. It was not to be that I should have it, and it wouldn't have done me much good if I had, for mother an' I are most ready to leave this world, an' we haven't a child or a chick to be gladdened by the money. Why, Mr. Gurney, I'm as pleased for you as if it was all mine."

And Mr. Simpson shook the boy by the hand in a hearty way that left no doubt of the truth of what he said.

"But if there is oil there, Mr. Simpson, you own as much as George and I do, for we settled on that yesterday."

"No, no!" and the old man shook his head decidedly. "When I sold the land, I believed I was getting the full value for it, and you didn't care whether it was worth what you paid or not. What you bought is yours, and there's no gainsaying that. I suspected there was somethin' more'n wood on that land when I went to pay Massie the money, for when he found that I had the full amount, he offered to pay me my price for the wood-lot, and when I told him I'd sold it, he offered to give me the whole mortgage just for that piece of land."

"There!" exclaimed Ralph, as if Mr. Simpson had just told him something which it was to his advantage to hear. "Now you can see why we should give you one-third of the land. If you had come to us then, and told us that you had a better offer for it, we should have been only too well pleased to give it up. Now, if what Bob says is true, you shall still own a third of the lot."

Mr. Simpson shook his head, to show he would not permit of such generosity, and Ralph did not care to discuss the matter any further, for he and George had already decided what to do.

"If what Bob says is true!" cried Jim. "Why, there's no question about it, for there the oil is where you can see it for yourself."

"Still, it may not turn out as he expects," objected Ralph, as if determined not to believe in his good fortune; and the moonlighters, really angry at such obstinacy, refused to argue with him any longer.

They insisted that Mr. Simpson should go with them to see the fortune that had been his, without his being aware of the fact, and while they were away Bob returned.

He had two men with him, who appeared as intent on business as Bob did, for all three walked past Ralph without speaking, going directly into the wood-lot.

During fully an hour, Ralph sat on the wood-pile, wondering if it could be possible that he was wrong in refusing to believe what all the others seemed so certain of, and then Bob and the men came back, accompanied by Mr. Simpson and the two moonlighters, all looking as if they could hardly contain themselves because of joy.

"We will start the engine and lumber right up here, Mr. Hubbard," said one of the men, as he passed Ralph, "and you can send for what you want, with the understanding that the owners of the land will ratify all your bargains."

"Well, as for that, you can judge for yourselves, so far as one of the owners is concerned; the other is not able to transact any business," said Bob, turning suddenly toward Ralph, and, greatly to that young gentleman's surprise, saying, "Gentlemen, this is Mr. Ralph Gurney, who owns one-half the property, as Mr. Simpson has told you."

"You are a very fortunate young man," said the gentleman who had been speaking with Bob. "You authorize Mr. Hubbard to act for you, I suppose?"

"Yes, sir," replied Ralph, too much dazed to know exactly what he was saying.

"There! what did I tell you?" cried Bob, as Jim drove away with the men, in order to bring the team back. "They will supply everything we need to open the well, and simply because they have seen what you did not think was of very much account. I have hired the men to build the derrick, and before you go to bed to-night you will have seen the work begun on your oil well."

"But, Bob," asked Ralph, in a tone that was almost piteous, and which sounded so comical, under the circumstances, that even Mr. Simpson laughed heartily at it, "do they think the same about it that you do?"

"Well, you heard what was said about supplying anything we needed, and people don't say such things, even up this way, unless they mean them. Now we shall need some considerable money, and I advise you to write to your father, telling him of what you own, and asking him to come on here prepared to help you. If he won't do it I can get all the money we need; but we shall have to pay considerable for the use of it."

Ralph made no objection, nor advanced any further argument; he was in that condition of mind when he was not capable of any resistance, and he obeyed Bob's orders as meekly as if there was no way by which he could refuse.

Ralph's letter was by no means one of such glowing description as Bob would have written. It was a plain statement of facts, begun by an account of how he and George came to buy the property, of the chase for the thieves, when they had their first intimation of the value of the property, of the accident to George, of Bob's discovery, and lastly of the opinion of the Bradford merchants, who were ready to supply, on credit, everything which was necessary for the opening of the well.

When the letter was read to Bob in its entirety, he did not disapprove of it, nor was he very much pleased. All he ventured to say was:

"It is lucky for you, Gurney, that the oil showed up so plainly that those who know a gold dollar when they see it were not so frightened about giving credit as you are about stating facts."

Then Dick was sent to Sawyer to post the letter, and while he was away the workmen whom Bob had engaged had arrived.

Ralph went with him when he directed them to clear away for the erection of the derrick and engine-house, and by the time the first load of lumber had arrived, he had begun to feel the effects of the oil fever.

The preparations going on everywhere around, the comments of the workmen as they saw the show of oil, the ringing blows of axes, and shouts of the teamsters, all lent an air of realism to Bob's words which Ralph had failed to see or feel before.

It was for him, even though it had been against his wishes, that all these men were working, and for him would accrue the profits, if indeed there were any.

Bob had been as good as his word; before Ralph went to bed that night he had seen the work begun, and already was he beginning to feel that perhaps all Bob's predictions might be verified.

CHAPTER XXVI.

DRILLING AN OIL WELL

There was no material change in George's condition on the morning after work had been begun on the oil well. The physicians declared that he was getting along as well as could be hoped for, and the nurse gave it as her opinion that he would recover much sooner than any one had believed. Therefore, the boys were not troubled about their friend more than might be expected.

On this day, work was begun on the derrick, and, as may be imagined, all the boys were on the spot to see it, Ralph's belief in the success of the venture growing stronger and stronger as the framework arose in the air.

On the third day George's mother arrived, and the boys were thus relieved of all responsibility, so far as the care of their friend was concerned.

It was on the evening of the same day that Mrs. Harnett came that Ralph's father arrived.

After receiving his son's letter, he had thought the matter of sufficient importance, somewhat to Ralph's surprise, to warrant his paying a visit to the oil fields, and had written to Ralph to meet him at Bradford.

Despite the fact that Bob could borrow on the strength of the property as much money as he needed to carry on the work, he was very anxious to convince Mr. Gurney of the value of his scheme, and on the day when that gentleman was to arrive, insisted that Ralph should go to Bradford with him early in the afternoon, in order that he might be able to arrange with the gentlemen of whom they were purchasing their supplies to meet Mr. Gurney, and tell him exactly what they thought of the proposed well.

Thanks to Bob's activity, Mr. Gurney was able to see all those who had inspected the property on that same evening, and was considerably surprised by these interviews.

After receiving Ralph's letter, he had thought that possibly the boys might have a site for a well which would pay to open, and he had come on believing that it was not a matter of very great importance.

When he had been introduced to Bob, and had heard that young gentleman's flowery description of the vast amount of wealth which was only waiting to be brought to the surface of the earth, he was disposed to look upon it as a visionary scheme, the value of which only existed in the moonlighter's mind.

Bob had been accustomed to have his statements received in that same way, and for that reason had arranged for Mr. Gurney to meet those whose judgment he could fully rely upon.

These gentlemen assured him that the well promised to be a rich one; that the signs of oil were remarkably good, and that they had no hesitation in agreeing with Bob, as they had done, to supply anything which might be needed to open the well.

Thus, even before he had seen the property, Mr. Gurney believed that his son was in a fair way to enrich himself through his deed of charity.

In the present crowded condition of the Simpson farm-house Mr. Gurney could find no accommodations for living there, and, since he was to remain in Bradford, the boys had made their arrangements to remain there also over night, in order that they might take him out to the oil-well early in the morning.

On the following day, Mr. Gurney drove out to look at the property. He saw that the work was well under way, and heard sufficient from the workmen to convince him of the fact that every one who had seen the place believed a well would yield plentifully.

Mr. Gurney's business would not permit of his remaining in the oil region but one day, and when Ralph drove him to the depot that night, he gave him formal permission to draw on him at sight for all necessary expenses.

After this, had it been possible, Bob would have hurried the work still faster along, but he had already urged matters on as fast as possible, and all he could do was to insist on Ralph, Jim and Dick doing as much work as one of the laborers, he setting the example.

The days went on all too short for the work that each one wanted to see done, and wearily for the invalid, who was beginning slowly to recover. The fever had abated, and with the doctor's permission, the boys had an interview with their friend, who had descended within the shadows of the Valley of Death.

On the night when the derrick was completed, the engine placed and housed, and the drills in position, ready for work, Bob and Ralph had a long and heated discussion as to whether George should be told of what was being done.

Bob insisted that he should know nothing about it until the day on which they struck oil, while Ralph argued that if it was such a certainty that oil would be found, George should be allowed to share in the pleasure of digging for it.