hifting and sending a fine spray of oil in their direction.

It was hard work to control the flow of oil, and the men around the new
well had to work like Trojans. The black mass was flowing off in a
depression of the ground which had been dammed around to receive it.

"It certainly is a great proceeding," was Fred's comment, when they
finally turned away and started on their return to Columbina. "I don't
wonder that those men get interested. It certainly is the greatest
gamble of the age. One minute you have nothing, and the next, if you are
lucky, the oil is pouring thousands of dollars into your pocket every
week."

"It's the land of luck, all right enough," answered Fred.

"And you mustn't forget one thing," added Jack. "There are just as many
failures as there are successes. There have been millions and millions
of dollars sunk in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, and some promoters
haven't got even a smell of oil for their money."

When the lads returned to the hotel they found that several letters had
come in for them. One was from Jack's sister, and this he read with
interest, and then passed it around to his cousins to peruse.

In her letter Martha wrote that she had heard from Ruth Stevenson's
mother, who stated that Ruth's eyes were not in as good shape as the
local doctor had hoped for and he had advised that a specialist be
consulted.

"Gee, that's the worst yet!" said Jack, and his face showed his concern.
"Poor Ruth! I do hope she comes out of it all right, and that very
soon."

Both Jack and the others would have been more concerned had they known
the truth, which was that Ruth had already been placed in the care of an
eye specialist and been removed to that physician's private sanitarium.
Pressed to tell the exact truth by Mr. Stevenson, the specialist had
admitted that Ruth's eyes had suffered exceedingly, and that she was in
danger of losing the sight of one of them and that that might possibly
affect the other. As Mrs. Stevenson was very nervous already, the doctor
had advised her husband to keep the truth to himself for the present and
hope for the best.

Among the other letters received was one forwarded by Mary to her
brother Fred. This was from Gif Garrison, and in the communication Gif
told how he had heard in a roundabout way of Nappy and Slugger.

* * * * *

"It seems that there was once a man named Davenport in business with Mr.
Martell," wrote Gif. "This