on their own account, but also
because of Phil Franklin.

"I liked that fellow first rate," said Fred, "and I do hope his father
is able to get some money out of this."

On the following day Mr. Fitch came in, and he and Jack's father went
over the matter very carefully. Then the oil expert said he would begin
an inspection of the property as soon as he could send for his outfit.

After that there was little for the boys to do but wait. Dick Rover took
another trip to Wichita Falls, and then to several other places in the
oil fields, including two towns in Oklahoma. He was getting figures of
oil-well machinery, and also trying to become better acquainted with the
whole oil proposition.

"You see, it's a new thing to me," he explained to Jack. "It's
altogether different from those mining interests your uncles and I hold
in the West and in Alaska. I've never had anything to do with oil
before, and so I am going a bit slow, so as to avoid mistakes if
possible."

As mentioned before, the Franklin farm was located near a place called
Pottown. The Rovers visited this community and found there a small but
well-kept hotel at which they took dinner one day.

"I think I like this just as well as the hotel in Columbina," remarked
Fred.

"In some respects I think I like it better," answered Randy.

"What would you say to transferring to Pottown?" questioned their uncle.
"Then you could be quite close to the Franklins while you stay here."

This suited the boys, and as a result the transfer was made early the
next week. The Rovers had a suite of three rooms, Jack's father
occupying one, the twins another, and Fred and Jack the third.

In the meantime Mr. Fitch had gone to work on the Franklin farm. He had
with him two of his best men, and all of them went over the entire place
with care. They also visited all of the wells in that vicinity, as well
as the unfinished borings.

"When do you think you can make a report, Mr. Fitch?" questioned Dick
Rover one day.

"I'm almost ready now, Mr. Rover. You shall have the report by next
Monday."

The weather had been rather dry, and now the roads throughout that
section were much better than they had been. In Pottown the boys had
little trouble in hiring an automobile, and they often took trips to
various places where the oil wells were in operation. They saw another
well set off, and managed to get themselves covered with not a little of
the black fluid.

"Suppose we take a