Part 36 (1/2)

It was hard work to control the flow of oil, and the men around the neell had to work like Trojans The black round which had been dareat proceeding,” was Fred's comment, when they finally turned away and started on their return to Coluet interested It certainly is the greatest ga, 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 ,” added Jack ”There are just as many failures as there are successes There have been millions and millions of dollars sunk in Texas, Oklahoot 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 ood 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 coht, 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 adly, and that she was in danger of losing the sight of one of theht possibly affect the other As Mrs Stevenson was very nervous already, the doctor had advised her husband to keep the truth to hi 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 Davenport is non in the oil fields of Texas, and he has agreed, so I understand, to give Nappy and Slugger a chance to work for a company he has formed So they are likely down there, and maybe you will meet them They also say that Glutts and Werner used to correspond with Nappy and Slugger, so that it is just possible they will go down there too”

”Well, Glutts isn't here,” said Fred, with a grin ”I guess that mix-up in New York was too much for him”

”If those felloant to work for Carson Davenport they can do so,”

said Jack ”But they've got to keep their distance--Werner especially”

Late that evening there ca the fact that he would have to reot to fix up soested Fred

There was not much to interest the boys around Colu rather heavily on their hands They visited the general stores and also walked over to the depot and watched two of the trains coht fro a Gladstone bag with him

”hello! I wonder if he has been to Wichita Falls too,” cried Jack

”He certainly came from that direction,” answered Fred ”But youthe line”

The following afternoon found the four boys on a highway leading from Columbina to Derrickville They had fallen in with an old oil prospector who knew Nick Ogilvie well, and this prospector had offered to take the-car

”It's a great sight around Derrickville,” said the man ”There are hundreds of oil wells in that vicinity It's about the busiest place for miles around”