Part 43 (2/2)

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 et themselves covered with not a little of the black fluid

”Suppose we take a run over to the Spell far whether they really went ahead or whether it was only a bluff”

”I don't think it was any bluff,” returned Randy ”They were getting in their machinery just as fast as they could”

If dick Rover had been present hethe Lorimer Spell claim In a roundabout way he had heard frootten how he had been knocked down, and he had told a number of people that he intended sooner or later to square accounts with ”that fellow from New York”

But Jack's father was not on hand to see the the matter much more consideration the boys had the driver of the automobile head towards the place where the encounter between Davenport and dick Rover had taken place

”My gracious! just see how the oil wells are co He pointed to a hillside where tells were at work ”Those weren't here ent through before”

”It looks to me as if some of these folks were fairly crazy about oil,”

reet busy when you think that under your very feet there may be thousands and thousands of dollars' worth of that stuff,” returned Jack

”What a different place this is from around Colby Hall,” commented Fred

”Yes And quite different from Valley Brook Far it with Riverside Drive?” questioned Andy, with a grin ”Don't you see the Hudson River over there with the stately warshi+ps?” and as he spoke he pointed to a pond of water, the surface of which was black with oil and on which floated several logs

”In one way I think the old felloas talking with last night was right,” declared Jack ”He said that the oil had spoiled the whole country Just look around, will you? Everything is black and greasy with oil”

”Well, they say 'dirty work uess a lot of these men don't care howas they get good fat bank accounts out of it”

At length they caht of the Lorimer Spell tract, and they were both surprised and interested at the activity being displayed there A gang of at least thirtysunk and others in erecting several buildings

”They certainly mean business,” remarked Jack, as they came to a halt near the bank of the little brook which flowed through one of the corners of the property ”You've got to give therow under their feet”

”I wonder if they are using their own ot so to get into any altercation with the workers, the Rovers kept at a distance They saw Tate and Jackson a orders, and both seee of the operations Carson Davenport was not visible

One s used as an office The door stood open, and presently a young fellow caarette as he did so

”hello, there is Nappy Martell!” exclaiainst the corner of the building, s idly at the workht of the Rovers He at once poked his head back into the building and said so this way,” announced Fred

”Yes, and there is Slugger Brown behind hiot their nerve with therowled Jack

”What do you felloant around here?” demanded Nappy coolly, as he ca along,” put in Slugger Brown He was puffing away at a briar-root pipe, trying his best to look mannish

”See here, you fellohat did you ot us to walk out to that storehouse?” demanded Jack

”That wasn't our fault,” broke out Nappy hastily ”We weren't responsible for what Gabe Werner did”