and in them sunk not only a
large amount of his own funds, but also funds belonging to the Martells
and Browns. But in the end these wells proved to be little better than
dry holes, so all of the money was lost.

"It's a terrible blow for all three families," said Dick Rover, when
this occurred. "It will make Mr. Werner quite a poor man."

"Well, I don't particularly wish them any hard luck," remarked Andy.
"Just the same, I guess Nappy, Slugger and Gabe got what was coming to
them."

On the day following the arrest of Davenport the first of the wells on
the Franklin farm was shot off. It proved to be an immense success, the
flood of oil carrying away almost everything before it.

"Jumping toothpicks!" exclaimed Randy, when the excitement was over.
"Nick Ogilvie says she will go six thousand barrels a day!"

"Just to think of it!" cried Jack, his eyes gleaming with pleasure. "Six
thousand barrels! Isn't it wonderful? Six thousand barrels at two
dollars and a half a barrel amounts to fifteen thousand dollars! Why,
it's a fortune and more!"

"We'll all be rich! We'll all be rich!" sang out Andy, and, grabbing his
brother, both set up a wild dance, knocking over the chairs as they did
so.

It was certainly a gala event, and the Rovers lost no time in
telegraphing the news to the folks in New York and also to a number of
their friends. Then preparations were made to bring in the second well,
and this proved almost as good as the first, running between four and
five thousand barrels per day at first, and then settling down to
fifteen hundred, while the first well for a long while never ran below
twenty-five hundred.

"They sure are a pair of peaches!" declared Dunning, who had come to
work for The Rover Oil Company. "A pair of peaches, as good as any in
this district."

"Do you know, I can scarcely believe it's true," said Phil Franklin to
the Rover boys. "Why, my father will have more money than he ever
dreamed of."

"We're as glad as you are, Phil," declared Jack. "Glad on your account
as well as our own. Now maybe you can go to Colby Hall with us."

"Say, that would be immense!" exclaimed Phil with pleasure.

And how Phil Franklin went that Fall with the Rovers to Colby Hall will
be related in a new volume, to be entitled, "The Rover Boys at Big Horn
Ranch; or, The Cowboys' Double Round-Up." In that book we shall learn
more concerning the doings of Jack and his cousins, and also learn the
particulars of a