cried George, his pale face
flushing with excitement.

And in a moment the carriage was surrounded by partners and workmen, as
each one tried to tell the good news that the drills had struck the rock
at a depth of eight hundred and forty feet.

"What have you found?" asked George, as soon as he could make himself
heard.

"Sandstone," replied Bob, "and we shall be obliged to try glycerine."

"The moonlighters will open the moonlighter's well!" cried Dick, as if
an immense amount of sport was to be had from such an operation.

"Indeed the moonlighters shall have nothing to do with it," replied Bob,
with no small show of dignity, and to the great surprise of all.
"There'll be no sneaking around to shoot this well, I can promise you
that, for we'll have her opened in the daylight, squarely, or not at
all."

Jim and Dick could hardly believe that which they heard. That their old
partner, one of the most successful moonlighters in the oil regions,
should object to having a well, in which he had a quarter interest,
opened as he had opened wells for others, was something too incredible
to be true. There must have been some mistake about it, they thought,
and they would shoot the well by moonlight as soon as Bob should
consider the matter more fully.

But all this time George was still in the carriage, and as soon as the
boys realized this, they began to make arrangements for helping him out,
content to wait to tell the good news more fully after he should be in
his room once more.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE EXAMINATION.

Beyond the fact that the drills had struck the rock, and that it was of
such a nature that they could not work in it, but would necessitate the
use of glycerine, but little more remained to be told after that first
announcement.

But yet all the boys crowded into George's room and insisted on trying
to tell him something new regarding the important fact.

The drills had struck the rock very shortly after Ralph and George had
started out, and in their rejoicing that the work was so nearly over,
Mr. and Mrs. Simpson had insisted that all hands should come to the
house, where a generous luncheon of preserves and bread and butter was
passed around in honor of the happy event.

That was all any of them could tell, and then came the question of
shooting the well, Jim and Dick looking anxiously at their former
partner to hear him retract those words so traitorous to moonlighting
generally.

Both R