Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation Part 26

"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 doc.u.ments, 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 d.i.c.k 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 d.i.c.k 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 doc.u.ments 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 doc.u.ments:

"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 ent.i.tled 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.

George had insisted that he was perfectly able to walk as far as "The Harnett," and would have done so had not his mother and his friends urged so strongly for him to wait until he should see the doctor again.

It was on this day, just after George had eaten what any one would consider a hearty dinner for an invalid, that the physician called, and almost as soon as he appeared, George asked his opinion about his taking a little out-door exercise.

"I see no reason why you should not do so," replied the doctor, "providing you may be trusted to act as your own physician, and come in before you get tired."

This George was positive he would be able to do, and almost before the doctor had left the house, he was planning a visit to "The Harnett," but that his mother objected to at once, since it would be impossible for him to ride, and it would be much too long a walk.

He was anxious to see the work, but, under the pressure of advice from all his friends, he consented to defer seeing "The Harnett" until later, and take a ride with Ralph instead. The horses were harnessed into his own carriage, which was made even more comfortable than ever by a profusion of Mrs. Simpson's pillows, and, a.s.sisted by all, the invalid started for his first out-door exercise since the murderous a.s.sault upon him.

George wanted to drive through Sawyer, for since he had been cleared of the charge against him, he was anxious to meet his friends there, and Ralph willingly drove in that direction.

Upon arriving at the town, there was every reason to fear that he would not get as his own physician, as the doctor advised, for he was warmly welcomed by every one, whether stranger or friend, until his reception was a perfect ovation. Over and over again was he thanked for the a.s.sistance he had rendered during the conflagration, and the congratulations on his recovery poured in on every side.

Among the cordial welcomes he received, none was more hearty than that from the officer who had arrested him the night he was starting in pursuit of the horse-thieves, and from him Ralph and George heard some news which interested them.

The men who had committed the a.s.sault were in the jail at Bradford, awaiting their examination, which was to take place as soon as their victim's recovery was certain, and the officer asked when George would be able to appear as a witness.

The senior owner of "The Harnett" had no desire, even then, that these men should be punished, but since the matter was one in which he could have no choice, and since he would be obliged to attend the examination, he declared that he could go at as early a date as might be set.

Evidently anxious to have the matter off his hands as soon as possible, the officer said:

"Then if you feel able to drive into town to-morrow, we will hold the examination. It will not take very much of your time, and if in the morning you do not feel able to attempt it, don't hesitate to send me word, and it shall be postponed."

"I don't think there is any doubt but that I shall be here," said George.

And then, after bidding the kindly-disposed officer good-by, he confessed to Ralph that he should be obliged to return home.