Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation

George wanted to call it "The Gurney," and his suggestion gave to Bob and Ralph just the name the well should bear in case it answered their expectations in regard to its yield.

"We will call it 'The Harnett,'" said Ralph, more decidedly than he had yet said anything in regard to the "scheme," and since Bob was in favor of this, it came to be considered a settled fact that that should be the name. After that conversation, old Mr. Simpson never spoke of it save as "The Harnett," and the boys soon learned to follow his example, until even George gave it that title.

Work went on rapidly, until the drills were boring eight hundred feet below the surface, and it was hourly expected that bed-rock would be struck, when George broached to Ralph a matter he had had on his mind from the hour he first learned that "The Harnett" was being opened.

"Do you remember, Ralph, what we said about giving Mr. Simpson a share in the land if oil was found there?" he asked, when Ralph came in to tell him that the rock had not been struck, but that Bob believed it would be before night.

"Yes, and I still think we ought to do so," replied the junior partner, quickly. "After he had taken our money, Massie offered to give up the whole of the mortgage for a deed of the wood-lot, and he refused, for he considered himself bound to us, even though he knew we only bought it to help him along."

"And what about Bob?" asked George, meaningly. "What he says about our hesitating to begin work before we had money of our own to carry it through, is nearly true, and if oil is struck there we shall have him to thank for it."

"I know that, and I have been meaning to talk with you about it. Why can't we give Mr. Simpson and him an equal share with us? I think they really ought to have it."

"So do I, and my proposition is that we give to each of them an undivided fourth of the entire property, they to share equally with us in everything."

"And I agree to that fully," replied Ralph, quickly. "I have wanted to propose something of the kind, but was afraid you wouldn't agree to it, because of Bob's being a moonlighter, and having given you so much trouble."

"But if 'The Harnett' is a success, we must attribute it all to the trouble Bob made for us. If the team hadn't been stolen we should not have been in Bradford to meet Mr. Simpson, and if it hadn't been for the theft we never should have imagined that there was any oil on the property. Besides, if Bob owns an interest here, you'll find that he won't do any more moonlighting."

"Well," said Ralph, anxious that their good intentions should be carried into effect as soon as possible, "when shall we give them their share? Now, or after we find whether there is oil in 'The Harnett?'"

"Now. You drive right into town, have the deeds made out, and bring them here so that I can sign them with you."

It was early in the day, and Ralph would have plenty of time to make all the arrangements and yet be back before the drilling ceased, unless, of course, the rock was struck almost immediately. Therefore he started at once, refusing to answer any of the questions which Mr. Simpson and Bob put to him as to what had called him in town so suddenly.

Of course neither of those whom he had left in an aggravated suspense could have any idea of his errand, and his sudden reticence after he had been in the habit of telling them all he was going to do, mystified them considerably, Bob in particular being greatly exercised over it.

"I hope Gurney hasn't got on his ear about anything," he said, to George, after he had watched Ralph drive away. "He's gone into town as glum as a judge, and won't say a word."

"What makes you think there is anything the matter?" asked George, with a smile. "Have you and he been having any trouble?"

"Not that I know of, except that he might have got cross when he was at the well, and thought I ought to have treated one of the proprietors with a little more deference. I was helping set the drills when he came out last, and I'm not sure but that I spoke sharply when I answered his questions; but I didn't intend to."

"I guess there's nothing the matter with him," said George, rather enjoying the moonlighter's perplexity, knowing how soon it would be ended. "You probably were a trifle cross, when he was there, and, being guilty, fancied that he spoke or acted differently from usual."

"I didn't fancy it, for he was queer. I asked him where he was going, and so did Mr. Simpson; but he wouldn't answer either of us."

"I'll find out what the trouble is when he comes back, and let you know," replied George.

And with this answer, Bob went back to his work, thinking it very singular that Ralph, who had always been so good-natured, should have suddenly become so crusty.

Twice during the remainder of the forenoon, Bob came to the house with some trifling excuse for so doing, but really to learn if Ralph had returned; and while he was there the last time, talking with George about the probabilities of striking sand or gravel rock, the junior partner returned.

He had with him some official-looking documents, and, as he entered the house, he said to Bob, speaking quite sharply without any intention of so doing, and yet resolving all the moonlighter's suspicions into certainties:

"I want some witnesses to George's signature. Will you bring Mr. Simpson, Jim and Dick here?"

Bob arose silently to comply with the request, looked at Ralph wonderingly and reproachfully an instant, and then left the room.

While he was absent, George told his friend of the moonlighter's trouble, and the two were making merry over it, when he returned with the witnesses Ralph had asked for.

The papers were handed to George, who signed both of them, and then asked Jim and Dick to sign their names as witnesses to his signature. Ralph had already signed them while in town.

Then, purposely taking considerable time about it, Ralph examined the documents as if to make sure that all was correct, and said:

"Mr. Simpson, after George and I learned there was a chance that oil would be found on your wood-lot, we agreed that you should share equally with us in whatever might come of it. For that purpose I went into town, and have had a deed drawn up, giving you an equal share with us."

"But I don't want none of it," said the old man, in a trembling voice, while there was a suspicious moisture in his eyes. "I sold the land to you as I'd a' sold it to anybody else, and whatever's there you own."

"But the deed is made out now, and there is no use for you to protest against it," said George; and, without giving the old man time to reply, he added, as he turned to Ralph: "Now I understand that there has been some trouble between you and Bob, or he fancies there has."

Bob motioned to George to be silent; but it was too late, and Ralph said:

"The only trouble is that I chose to go away this morning without telling him where I was going. Then I owned one-half of the wood-lot, with all there is or may be on it, and since it was the last time I should have the right to do anything regarding it without his knowledge, I refused to tell him where I was going. But now that he owns an equal share with you, Mr. Simpson and me, he will have a perfect right to question me."

Bob looked up in blank amazement, but made no attempt to speak, and after waiting several moments, during which no one save the two original partners seemed to understand the situation, Ralph said, as he handed Bob one of the documents:

"Believing that but for you 'The Harnett' would not have been opened, at least for some time, we have thought it best to divide the property into fourths, one of which belongs to you."

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Bob was unable to make any reply, and he walked quickly out of the room to the wood-pile, where he sat for some time as if trying to make himself believe that what Ralph had said was true.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

RED ROCK

The idea that Ralph and George would voluntarily give him a portion of what he considered to be very valuable property, was the farthest thought from Bob's mind. He had gone to work to open the well simply because he was anxious to prove to those who had declared he knew nothing about it, that there was a large deposit of oil where he had always insisted there must be. If any one had said to him that he was entitled to any considerable reward because he had given up his own business to improve the value of his friend's property, he would have said truly that he had not neglected his own business, since just at that time there was no work for moonlighters to do.

He had started in on the work with no idea of being paid for his services, although if oil was found, and he had needed any small amount of money, he would not have hesitated to ask for it. The work had been begun by him upon the impulse of the moment, and this making him an equal owner in the well, simply because of what he had done, surprised him even more than it did any one else.

It was after he had been sitting on the wood-pile long enough to understand why this property had been given him, reading first the deed, and then looking toward the wood-lot, where he could hear the sounds of activity, that he entered the house, where both his old and his new partners were discussing, as they had ever since the work had begun, the probabilities of finding oil.

"I tell you what it is, boys," he said to George and Ralph, "this thing ain't just straight. You've got no right, in the first place, to give away a quarter of that property before you know what it's worth, and then, again, if you paid me ten times over for what I've done, it wouldn't amount to this. Now, if you think you'd feel better to pay me for my work, take back this deed, and so long as I have charge of 'The Harnett,' give me one barrel in every twenty you take out. That will be mighty big pay, and a good deal more than I am worth."

"But I suppose you'd be glad to own a portion of a well, Bob, and especially as big a one as you insist this is going to be," said George.

"So I would like to own one, and I'd rather have this one quarter, so far as money goes, than half of any well I know of. But you see this don't belong to me, for I haven't earned it, and you haven't the right to give away so much."

"But we have given it away, and you can't insist upon the size of the gift, because none of us know whether, instead of being a benefit, it will not saddle a debt on you of one quarter of the expense of sinking the well," said Ralph.

"I know that it won't!" cried Bob, earnestly, "and so do we all, for we're sure of striking a big flow."

"Well, Bob, you've got the deed," interrupted George, "and since we want to make you one of the owners of 'The Harnett,' we'll say to you as we did to Mr. Simpson – you've got the deed, and you can't help yourself."

Bob made no further reply; but five minutes later the boys saw him and Mr. Simpson perched high up on the wood-pile, talking very earnestly about something, which they quite naturally concluded was the gift they had just received, and on commenting upon it, Mrs. Harnett, although she knew there was very little necessity for it, advised the boys to insist upon the acceptance of the gift, for she believed both the recipients deserved what they considered such good fortune.

Both Ralph and George were perfectly satisfied with what they had done, and in an hour after the presentation, all the partners were discussing the chances of striking oil, much as they had every day before when two of them had no idea they were to become part owners.

The doctor's visits had grown less frequent since George had begun to recover so rapidly, and it had been three days since he had seen the patient.