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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
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