gine's up, and we commenced drilling
this morning. I tell you what it is, Harnett, before you're able to get
around again, we'll have a thousand-barrel well flowing that you can
call your own; and, as for engineering, why, you needn't worry your head
about that any more, for you'll have all the money you want."

CHAPTER XXVII.

"THE HARNETT."

It surely seemed as if the good news which Ralph and Bob had imparted to
him was all that was needed to cause George's rapid improvement. From
the day when they had told him of what they had done and were doing, his
recovery was so rapid that at the end of a week he was sufficiently
strong to sit up a short time each day, and the physician predicted that
in another week he would be able to take a walk out of doors.

Meantime, the work at the well had progressed most favorably. There had
been no serious breakages, no vexatious delays, no trouble of any
important character. In fact, the workmen expressed it as their
conviction that it would be a "lucky well," because of the singular
freedom from accidents with which the entire work had been attended. Bob
was in the highest possible state of excitement all the time. Each
morning he anticipated that they would have some trouble which would
delay them, when he was anxious to have the work completed as soon as
possible, and each night, after matters had gone on smoothly, he held
forth to George and Ralph of the wonderful "luck" they had had, which
must be taken as an augury of that which was to come.

Ralph divided his time equally between George and the scene of
operations. In the early morning, he would walk out to the well, stay
there an hour, and then return to report progress, continuing his
alternate visits to the well and the invalid, until George knew as much
of what was going on as if he had superintended it.

Now, every oil well is christened with some name, which is supposed to
be suggestive of the manner in which it has been discovered, or to do
honor to some person who may or may not be interested in it; therefore,
it is not to be supposed that a name for this pet of Bob's had not been
discussed even before work had been begun on it.

Each one of the boys had proposed some appellation, Bob's favorite being
"The Invalid," in honor of George, and because, as he said, it had
really had a chance of an existence through Harnett's illness, for he
stoutly contended that had the senior owner been well, he would have