d conductor was on hand the next morning to point out
to them the State line, and Betty, under his direct challenge, had to
admit that she could see nothing distinguishing about the scenery.

"Wait till you see the oil wells," said the conductor cheerfully.
"You'll know you're in Oklahoma then, little lady."

Bob and Betty were to change at Chassada to make connections for
Flame City, where Betty's Uncle Dick was stationed, and soon after
breakfast the brakeman called the name of the station and they
descended from the train. As it rolled on they both were conscious of
a momentary feeling of loneliness, for in the long journey from
Washington they had grown accustomed to their comfortable quarters
and to the kindly train crew.

They had an hour to wait in Chassada, and Bob suggested that they
leave their bags at the station and walk around the town.

"I believe they have oil wells near here," he said. "Some one on the
train--oh, I know who it was, that lanky chap from Texas--was
telling me that from the outskirts of the place you can see oil
wells. Or perhaps we can get a bus to take us out to the fields and
bring us back."

"Oh, no," protested Betty. "I know Uncle Dick is counting on showing
us the wells and explaining them to us, Bob. Don't let us bother
about going up close to a well--we can see enough from the town
limits. Look, there's one now!"

They had reached the edge of the narrow, straggling group of streets
that was all of Chassada, and now Betty pointed toward the west where
tall iron framework rose in the air. There were six of these
structures, and, even at that distance, the boy and girl could see
men working busily about at the base of the frames.

"Looks just like the postcards your uncle sent, doesn't it?" said Bob
delightedly. "Gee! I'd like to see just how they drive them. Well, I
suppose before we're a week older we'll know how to drive a well and
what to do with the oil when it finally flows. You'll be talking oil
as madly as any of them then, Betty."

"I suppose I shall," admitted Betty. "Do you know, I'm hungry. I
wonder if there is any place we can eat?"

"Must be," said the optimistic Bob. "Come on, we'll go up this
street. Perhaps there will be some kind of a restaurant. Never heard
of a town without a place to eat."

But Bob began to think presently that perhaps Chassada differed in
more ways than one from the towns to which he was accustomed. In the
first place, though every on