it is, boys," he said to George and Ralph, "this thing
ain't just straight. You've got no right, in the first place, to give
away a quarter of that property before you know what it's worth, and
then, again, if you paid me ten times over for what I've done, it
wouldn't amount to this. Now, if you think you'd feel better to pay me
for my work, take back this deed, and so long as I have charge of 'The
Harnett,' give me one barrel in every twenty you take out. That will be
mighty big pay, and a good deal more than I am worth."

"But I suppose you'd be glad to own a portion of a well, Bob, and
especially as big a one as you insist this is going to be," said George.

"So I would like to own one, and I'd rather have this one quarter, so
far as money goes, than half of any well I know of. But you see this
don't belong to me, for I haven't earned it, and you haven't the right
to give away so much."

"But we have given it away, and you can't insist upon the size of the
gift, because none of us know whether, instead of being a benefit, it
will not saddle a debt on you of one quarter of the expense of sinking
the well," said Ralph.

"I know that it won't!" cried Bob, earnestly, "and so do we all, for
we're sure of striking a big flow."

"Well, Bob, you've got the deed," interrupted George, "and since we want
to make you one of the owners of 'The Harnett,' we'll say to you as we
did to Mr. Simpson--you've got the deed, and you can't help yourself."

Bob made no further reply; but five minutes later the boys saw him and
Mr. Simpson perched high up on the wood-pile, talking very earnestly
about something, which they quite naturally concluded was the gift they
had just received, and on commenting upon it, Mrs. Harnett, although she
knew there was very little necessity for it, advised the boys to insist
upon the acceptance of the gift, for she believed both the recipients
deserved what they considered such good fortune.

Both Ralph and George were perfectly satisfied with what they had done,
and in an hour after the presentation, all the partners were discussing
the chances of striking oil, much as they had every day before when two
of them had no idea they were to become part owners.

The doctor's visits had grown less frequent since George had begun to
recover so rapidly, and it had been three days since he had seen the
patient.

George had insisted that he was perfectly able to walk as far as "The
Harnett," and would have