'd mixed the soapsuds and washing soda for him.
It was standing in the barn."

Betty explained. Of her blouse and Bob's collars, there remained a
few ragged shreds, for she had poured enough washing powder in to
eat the fabric full of holes. She took her loss good-naturedly and
was thankful she had the new blouse to wear.

Uncle Dick, when he heard the story, went into gales of laughter.

"Tough luck, Kitten," he comforted her. "We'll go to see an oil fire
this afternoon and that'll take your mind off your troubles."

CHAPTER XI

AN OIL FIRE

Mr. Gordon had arrived the night of the disastrous laundry
experiment, and made his announcement at the supper table.

"An oil fire!" ejaculated Betty. "Where is it? Won't it burn the
offices and houses? Perhaps they'll have it put out before we get
there!"

Mr. Gordon did not seem to be at all excited, and continued to eat
his supper placidly. He looked tired, and he later admitted that he
had slept little the night before, having spent the time discussing
ways of putting out the fire with the well foreman.

"No, we'll get to it in plenty of time in the morning," he assured
his niece. "An oil fire is less dangerous than expensive, my dear.
We've got a man coming up from beyond Tippewa with a sand blast on
the first train. Telegraphed for him to-night. It will cost fifteen
hundred dollars to put the fire out, but it's worth it."

"Fifteen hundred dollars!" Betty stared aghast.

"Well, think of the barrels of oil burning up," returned her uncle.
"The fire's been going since yesterday afternoon. The normal output
of that well is round about three thousand barrels a day. Every
twenty-four hours she burns, that much oil is lost to us. So we count
the fifteen hundred cheap."

The Watterby household had the farm habit of retiring early, and
to-night Betty and Bob were anxious to get to sleep early, too, that
they might have a good start in the morning. Mr. Gordon was glad to
turn in when the rest did and make up for lost sleep, so by nine
o'clock the house was wrapped in slumber.

An hour or two later Betty was awakened by what sounded like a shot.
Startled, she listened for a moment, and then, hearing no further
commotion, went to sleep again.

She was the first one down in the morning, barring Mrs. Watterby,
who, winter and summer, rose at half-past four or earlier. Going out
to the pump for a drink of water she saw Ki bending over something
beside the woodsh