t ready to leave this world, an' we haven't a child or a chick
to be gladdened by the money. Why, Mr. Gurney, I'm as pleased for you as
if it was all mine."

And Mr. Simpson shook the boy by the hand in a hearty way that left no
doubt of the truth of what he said.

"But if there is oil there, Mr. Simpson, you own as much as George and I
do, for we settled on that yesterday."

"No, no!" and the old man shook his head decidedly. "When I sold the
land, I believed I was getting the full value for it, and you didn't
care whether it was worth what you paid or not. What you bought is
yours, and there's no gainsaying that. I suspected there was somethin'
more'n wood on that land when I went to pay Massie the money, for when
he found that I had the full amount, he offered to pay me my price for
the wood-lot, and when I told him I'd sold it, he offered to give me the
whole mortgage just for that piece of land."

"There!" exclaimed Ralph, as if Mr. Simpson had just told him something
which it was to his advantage to hear. "Now you can see why we should
give you one-third of the land. If you had come to us then, and told us
that you had a better offer for it, we should have been only too well
pleased to give it up. Now, if what Bob says is true, you shall still
own a third of the lot."

Mr. Simpson shook his head, to show he would not permit of such
generosity, and Ralph did not care to discuss the matter any further,
for he and George had already decided what to do.

"If what Bob says is true!" cried Jim. "Why, there's no question about
it, for there the oil is where you can see it for yourself."

"Still, it may not turn out as he expects," objected Ralph, as if
determined not to believe in his good fortune; and the moonlighters,
really angry at such obstinacy, refused to argue with him any longer.

They insisted that Mr. Simpson should go with them to see the fortune
that had been his, without his being aware of the fact, and while they
were away Bob returned.

He had two men with him, who appeared as intent on business as Bob did,
for all three walked past Ralph without speaking, going directly into
the wood-lot.

During fully an hour, Ralph sat on the wood-pile, wondering if it could
be possible that he was wrong in refusing to believe what all the others
seemed so certain of, and then Bob and the men came back, accompanied by
Mr. Simpson and the two moonlighters, all looking as if they could
hardly contain themselv