ought there was a good prospect of oil or not, but Uncle
Dick was not the kind of man to have his decisions debated. Bob
wisely concluded to wait with what patience he could until the proper
time. He turned to Betty.

"You know when we separated to hunt for Daisy?" he said. "Well, I
went through the first field all right, but when I was passing those
two old apple trees that have grown together, Fluss and Blosser
jumped out and one of 'em threw a coat over my head so I couldn't
shout. They downed me, and then Fluss stuffed his handkerchief in my
mouth while Blosser tied my hands and feet. Daisy was behind the
tree. I figured out they had come and got her, and I was mighty glad
we had agreed to separate. I don't doubt they would have bound and
gagged you, too, Betty, if you had been with me. They wouldn't stop
at anything.

"They carried me to the barn loft----" Betty jumped a little. "Yes, I
was up there when you were milking. Awfully hot up there in the hay
it was, too. They were hiding near us when we planned to drop the bar
as a signal, and I heard them laughing over that trick half the
night. They slept up there with me--I was nearly dead for a drink of
water--and once during the night Fluss did go down to the pump and
bring me a drink, standing over me with that big club in case I
should cry out when they took out the gag.

"This morning they watched and saw you ride off on Clover. They were
in a panic for fear you would come back with some one before they
could persuade the aunts to sell. I wish you could have seen them
brushing each other off and shining their shoes on a horse blanket.
They wanted to look stylish and as though they had just come from
town instead of sleeping in a hayloft all night."

"They said they had stayed in Flame City over night," said Miss Hope
indignantly. "The idea!"

"They had several," grinned Bob. "I certainly put in an anxious hour
up there after they had gone down the ladder. You see, I didn't know
Betty was going for Uncle Dick, and I didn't know that any one else
would say there was oil on the place. Fluss had a roll of bills as
big as your arm, and I pictured him flashing that and Aunt Hope so
anxious to send me to school that she wouldn't leave a margin for
herself and Aunt Charity to live on. If I had known that Uncle Dick
was coming, I'd have saved myself a heap of worry."

"If I had had to telephone to him, it would have been too late," said
Betty. "I just happened to