rtily as if they had
always been the best of friends rather than enemies.

"Mr. Newcombe, I have come for an eighty-quart charge, with the
stipulation that I can work it myself in the well on the Simpson farm,
of which I own one quarter. This gentleman refuses, because he is afraid
I may kill myself. Won't you vouch for my skill in the matter?"

"Indeed I will," was the hearty reply; "and if you will buy all your
charges in the same manner, I shall have very much less work to do."

"I've stopped all that work now," said Bob, solemnly, "and so far as I
am concerned, you won't have another night's drive for moonlighters."

Of course, after Mr. Newcombe's introduction, Bob had no difficulty in
gaining the desired permission, and he joined those who were waiting for
him outside, happy in the thought that, as he expressed it, "'The
Harnett' would have a chance next day to show what she could do."

CHAPTER XXX.

LEGAL MOONLIGHTERS.

When the boys arrived at the Simpson farm-house, after the close of the
examination, there was very little they could do save talk over that
which was to be done on the morrow, when the value of "The Harnett" was
to be decided.

A portion of the tubing to be used in case there was any flow of oil,
was already on the ground, and the remainder would be hauled by noon of
the next day at the latest. There were no cartridges to prepare, for the
Torpedo Company's workmen would attend to all that, delivering both the
tin cases and the glycerine ready for use.

Everything was done that could be, and in a few hours more the casing of
rock, which might or might not cover a large deposit of oil, would be
blown out.

As sanguine as Bob had been from the first that a large yield of oil
would be found, he was exceedingly nervous now that the time for the
question to be settled was near at hand. Not but that he was still as
positive as ever that they should strike oil, but he began to fear that
it might not be found in such quantity as he had imagined.

He would talk for a few moments with the boys, then find some pretext
for going to the well, over which a guard had been set to prevent any
evil-disposed parties from tampering with it, and once there he was
quite as eager to get back to his partners as he had been to leave them.
In fact, he was in the highest degree nervous, and had not the others
been afflicted in a similar way, they would have noticed his condition.

Mr. Simpson was in su