er school
chums. They had a glorious Fourth of July, and then came back to New
York City.

During that time Jack wrote two letters to Ruth, and received one in
return. The girl stated that she felt quite well, but that her eyes were
still bothering her a good deal.

"It's too bad, Jack," said Martha, when her brother spoke about this.
"Ruth is not the one to complain. Her eyes are probably in worse shape
than she is willing to admit."

"I'm worried greatly, Martha," he answered. "I wish I could do something
for her."

In a roundabout way the Rovers heard of what had happened to Bill
Glutts. He had been locked up over night, and in the morning some
relatives had come to his assistance and through paying a fine had had
him released. Then Glutts and his relatives had paid for the damage done
to the bric-a-brac stand, a damage amounting to nearly a hundred
dollars. In the meanwhile, so far as they could ascertain, nothing
further had been heard of Gabe Werner.

"Werner is evidently going to keep shady," remarked Fred. "Perhaps we'll
never see him again." But in this surmise the youngest Rover boy was
mistaken, as later events proved.

At last came another red-letter day when the command to which the older
Rovers belonged was mustered out of the United States service. Tom and
Sam came in one day, and Dick the next evening.

"Now for civilian clothes once more!" announced Tom Rover. "And then I
guess it will be high time for me to get back to the offices in Wall
Street."

"And I'm with you, Tom," said Sam. "I'd rather be at my desk than on a
battlefield, any day."

When Dick Rover came back he was more filled than ever with a desire to
get down to Texas to look over the land which had been left to him by
Lorimer Spell.

"I've found out that it is right in a territory where a number of
well-paying oil wells have been located," said he. "But I'm not
altogether certain that his claim is a sure one, and it might be just
possible that some prospectors might try to jump it, now that word has
gone forth that he was killed in battle. They may think he died without
leaving any heir."

"Well, Dad, you know what I said," cried Jack quickly. "If you went to
Texas I'd like first rate to go along. Maybe I could help you with your
claim."

"Oh, Uncle Dick! won't you take us all with you?" pleaded Fred. "It
would be a grand outing for this Summer. We've been working very hard at
school, you know."

"A trip to Texas would