es stick out."

Ralph felt almost as if he was losing his breath at the "size" Bob's
scheme was assuming, and he said, faintly:

"Oh, we wouldn't do that!"

"Indeed, but we would, and I reckon Harnett wouldn't feel very badly
about it either."

"If you were sure of striking oil, I'm not sure but that father would
advance the necessary money to do it," he said, falling in at once with
Bob's scheme, he was so dazzled by it.

"That would be all the better," cried Bob, excitedly; "and I tell you
what it is, Gurney, if I don't show you a five-hundred-barrel well in
that same wood-lot, you shall have my head for a football."

Ralph was hardly in need of such a plaything, but Bob's scheme had so
excited him that when he did finally succeed in getting to sleep that
night, it was only to dream of wonderful wells spouting wonderfully pure
oil.

CHAPTER XXIV.

BOB'S INDUSTRY.

Bob Hubbard was not one to give up anything he had once decided upon
without a trial, and when he told Ralph that between them they would
find the oil and sink the well before George recovered, he intended to
do it if it was within the range of possibilities.

Very many operators in the oil region looked upon Bob as one of the best
prospectors there, and while they fully understood his reckless manner,
and agreed that it could not be said that he was strictly truthful, they
had the most perfect confidence in his reports on land.

Therefore, it was no vain boast when Bob said that if there were good
signs of oil on the Simpson wood-lot, he could easily borrow money
enough to sink a well, for almost any one of the capitalists of Bradford
would have been willing to make the loan upon his representations.

This wood-lot of Simpson's had attracted Bob's attention some time
before, as the reader already knows, and, despite the assertions of some
oil prospectors to the contrary, he had always maintained that a good
paying well would be found there.

It had been his intention to buy the land; but he had neglected to do
so, as he was in the habit of neglecting his own business until it was
too late. But he would be satisfied to prove that he had been correct in
his views by striking oil there, even if he was opening the property for
some one else, and just then he saw the opportunity of doing a favor for
his friend at the same time that he proved the truth of his own
statements.

On the morning after he had spoken of his "scheme" to Ralph, h