Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation

It was a fragment of the description of the wood-lot which had been found in the carriage when the thieves left it.

"Those men have done this," cried Bob, as he clenched his hands in impotent rage – "the ones whom George would not help catch after they had stolen his team. They knew he had this paper, and when they saw him, they either tried simply to get possession of it, George resisting, or at the first attempted to kill him."

"They can't be very far from here," said Ralph, as if wondering what other crime they would attempt to commit before they left.

"No, and they shan't get very far, either. I'll send Dick over to Sawyer for the officers, and if it is possible, we'll have those fellows where they can't do any more mischief."

Dick was only too willing to go when he heard what Bob had to tell him, and in the team he had driven over in he started at nearly as rapid a pace as Jim had.

Very shortly after he had gone, Jim returned. The first physician was from Bradford, and he had met him on the road, while the second he had found in Sawyer, having gone there to visit a patient. Both were said to be very skillful, and Jim had sensibly concluded that there was no necessity of getting any more.

To him the boys told of the discovery they had made regarding the scrap of paper, and had they followed his advice, they would have started in search of the villains then and there, without waiting the tardy movements of the officers.

But both Ralph and Bob thought their place just then was with their friend, rather than searching for those who had assaulted him, and they persuaded Dick to forego his idea of making a personal search for the men.

It was not long that the boys were in suspense as to the report of the physicians, for hardly had they finished discussing the discovery they had made as to who had done the cruel deed, when one of the medical gentlemen came from George's room.

Unless, he said, there were internal injuries, of which they were then unable to learn, George's condition was not one of imminent danger. That he had been severely injured there could be no doubt; but there was every reason to believe that he would recover, unless some more serious wound than those already found had been given.

He had not recovered consciousness yet, and there was hardly any chance that he would for some time, while the physician barely intimated that it was possible, owing to the wounds on his head, that he might never fully recover his mental powers.

It was just such a report as medical men often make – one which leaves the anxious ones in quite as much suspense as before, and neither Ralph nor Bob was just certain whether it was favorable to their friend or not.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE TOWN ORDINANCE

The news which Dick carried to Sawyer was sufficient to create a great excitement in that naturally quiet little town. In addition to what looked like an attempted murder, was the fact that George Harnett, whom they had all respected before the conflagration, and admired after it, was the intended victim.

There was no need for Dick to urge that officers be sent to try to effect the capture of the scoundrels, for almost before he had finished telling the story, a large party of citizens started in search of the men, determined that they should answer for their crime.

Therefore, when Dick returned, it was with so large a following that the physicians rushed out in the greatest haste to insist on their keeping at a respectful distance from the house, lest the noise might affect their patient.

Bob and his partners were anxious to join in the search, and urged Ralph to accompany them, since he could do no good to George by remaining; but he refused to leave his friend, even though he could not aid him, and the party started without him, a look of determination on their faces that boded no good to the professed oil prospectors in case they should be caught.

During all of that night Ralph remained with George, listening to his delirious ravings, as he supposed he was still battling for his life with the men, and just at daybreak Bob returned alone. The search had been even more successful than any of the party had dared to hope for when they set out, for the men had been captured in the woods about four miles from the place where the assault had been made and in the pocket of one of them was the paper from which one corner had been left in George's hand.

They had evidently believed that they would be securely hidden in the woods, for they had built a camp, and were in it asleep when they were found.

Bob had been one of the first to rush in upon them, and, seeing him, the men had shown fight; but the sight of the crowd behind him prevented any serious demonstrations, and after that their only fear had been that some one would attempt to do them an injury, a fear for which, at one time, it seemed as if there were very good grounds.

When the prisoners had been carried back to Sawyer, Bob had left the party, in order to report their success to Ralph, as well as to learn George's condition.

Until Harnett's friends could be informed of his situation, Ralph and Bob were looked upon as the only ones having a right to dictate as to what should be done for him, and Ralph was anxious to have the course they should pursue decided. With this in view, he had a long discussion with Bob as to what should be done, and the result of it was that he started at once for Bradford, to telegraph to George's mother, and to hire a nurse to take care of him.

Mrs. Harnett, George's mother, lived in Maine, and it would necessarily be quite a long time before she could reach her son, even if she got the telegram as soon as it was sent. Therefore, it was important that a nurse should be procured, at least until she could arrive, and decide what should be done with the patient.

After this was done, Ralph started to return, not wanting to be away any longer from his friend than possible, and as he neared Sawyer, he met the officer who had arrested George and Bob for violation of the town ordinance.

"Where is Mr. Hubbard?" asked the officer, after Ralph had given him all the particulars of George's condition.

"He is now at Mr. Simpson's, waiting there until I shall get back."

"Is he particularly needed there?"

"Oh, no. As for the matter of that, neither one of us will be actually needed after this forenoon, for I have just been to Bradford to engage a nurse for George until his mother shall get here. Why did you ask?"

"Well, you see before this assault was committed, it was decided to call the case one of carrying glycerine through the town, to-day. Now it has been decided, in view of the service Harnett rendered at the conflagration, to drop the case against him, and only proceed against Hubbard. But if his presence was necessary to Harnett, we could postpone it easily enough."

"But George would feel very badly if the case against him was dropped," said Ralph, earnestly. "Before the arrest was made, his only hope was that it would be made, so that he might prove he had nothing to do with it. Isn't it possible to proceed against him, even if he isn't there?"

"And what if it is?" asked the officer, with a smile.

"If it is I would urge you to call the case against George at the same time as that against Bob, for I know, beyond a doubt, that he will be proven not guilty."

"I'll see what can be done; and if you and Hubbard can leave, come over about two o'clock this afternoon."

"We will be there," replied Ralph.

And then he drove on, rejoiced at the thought that even while his friend was sick, he could remove one cause of trouble from him.

When Bob was told of the interview Ralph had had, he was by no means so well pleased that the case was to be opened so soon.

"Why didn't you tell the officer that I couldn't be spared from George's side for a moment?" he asked. "That would have settled it, for just now every one is sympathizing with him."

"In the first place, it wouldn't have been true," replied Ralph, "and then again, if it has got to come, the sooner it's over the better, I should think."

Bob made a wry face over the matter, for he had hoped that in the excitement caused by the attack on George, both the cases would be dropped, and since there could be no doubt about his conviction, that would have been the most pleasant way out of it, so far as he was concerned.

Ralph used all the arguments he could think of to persuade Bob to look at the matter in a philosophical light, and it was not until he urged the satisfaction it would give George, when he recovered, to know that he was cleared of the charge, that Bob would even admit that he was willing to go, although he knew he must do so.

As soon as the professional nurse arrived and began her duties, Bob and Ralph harnessed the former's team, and started first for the moonlighters' hut, where Jim had said he would be that day, for the purpose of getting him to testify in George's behalf.

This young moonlighter was quite as averse to appearing at court as his partner had been, for he feared the charge might be altered to include him, but Ralph persuaded him that such would hardly be probable, at the same time that he urged him to accompany them, for George's sake.

On arriving at Sawyer it was found that the authorities were willing to call George's case in consideration of the fact that his innocence could be easily proven, and the trial began.

Of course, with Bob, Jim and Ralph to testify in George's behalf, there was no doubt as to his innocence in the matter, and quite as naturally, the testimony which cleared one convicted the other, for Bob had told the story exactly as the matter had happened.

George was found "not guilty," and public opinion being in favor just then of any of the friends of the injured man, Bob was let off with a reprimand and a fine of ten dollars.

Bob was in high glee over this easy settlement of the matter, as was Ralph, and when the constable handed them the forty dollars which he had taken as security for their appearance, the young moonlighter insisted on presenting him with five dollars of his twenty, as a "token of his appreciation."

During the ride back to the Simpson farm, and Jim accompanied them in order to remain there over-night in case he should be needed, Bob unfolded a scheme which he declared he had been maturing for some time, although Ralph insisted that it had only occurred to him after his fortunate escape from the clutches of the law.

"We shall have no business for two or three weeks at least," he said; "and while George is so sick there is really nothing we can do for him. Now I propose that you and I find the signs of oil that those fellows claim to have found, and when George gets well the work will be all done for him."

"But can we do it?" asked Ralph, thinking that he would be of but little service, since his knowledge of the oil business was confined to what he had seen of the moonlighters' operations.