wer
also the purpose of a written release of the mortgage.

He also gave Bob an order to the keeper of the property at the well,
recalling him from his disagreeable duties, and the ex-moonlighter had
the pleasure of escorting the officer to the main road, happy that they
were once more in possession of their own.

Then, of course, Mr. Gurney was shown the wonderful well, and listened,
long and attentively to Bob's arguments as to why another well should be
sunk near the house. To the surprise of all the partners except,
perhaps, Bob, Mr. Gurney advised that that scheme be carried out, saying
that Bob's argument seemed to be supported by such facts in the case as
were apparent even to those unfamiliar with the business.

Bob was highly delighted at having convinced Ralph's father of the
feasibility of this scheme, and Mr. Simpson was so impressed by the
celebrated lawyer's advice that he insisted on deeding, that very night,
the strip of land, on which it was proposed to sink the well, to the
firm of Harnett, Gurney, Hubbard & Simpson.

Mr. Gurney insisted that the other three partners should pay to Mr.
Simpson their proportion of the valuation of the land, which would have
been several thousand dollars; but the old man would listen to no such
proposition. He had been presented with a quarter of the wood-lot when
he had no claim upon it, and he urged his right to make the firm a
present of as much land as he owned.

There was no necessity of watching the farm that night, although Bob
thought it was careless to leave it unguarded; but no harm came to it,
nor did they even hear from the worthy Mr. Massie.

Bob lost no time in setting about the work of opening the new well, and
his first duty next morning was to set a portion of the men at work
making ready for the erection of the derrick.

Fortunately for the boys, the court was already in session, and Massie's
claim came up for an early hearing.

It seemed as if the old money-lender must have entirely forgotten that
there had been a witness to the payment of the money, for he came into
court apparently confident that he should be able to call "The Harnett"
his own; but as soon as he saw Thompson, all his confidence vanished,
and he sneaked out of court even before the case was fairly opened.

Of course, there could be but one decision, under the circumstances, and
in less than an hour from the time the case was called, a verdict had
been given in favor of Mr. Si