PROSPECTING.
It was not until a late hour on the morning after the boys arrived at
the Kenniston farm after their pursuit of the horse-thieves that any one
of the three made their appearance, and even then they would not have
gotten up so early as they did, had not Jim and Dick paid them a visit
for the purpose of hearing the particulars of the chase.
Bob's partners paid no attention to Farmer Kenniston when he proposed
that they wait until the boys should awaken, since the chances were that
they needed a considerable amount of sleep; but insisted on paying a
visit to their partner in bed, which effectually prevented him from
enjoying another morning nap.
When Ralph and George made their appearance half an hour later, Bob had
told his friends all the particulars of the chase, including the finding
of the report on the Simpson property, and the moonlighters were quite
as much excited about it as if they had been the owners of the land.
They insisted that George and Ralph should verify the truth of the
statement at once, and, without waiting for an invitation, proposed to
accompany them.
Just then, owing to the unusual vigilance of the torpedo detective, the
moonlighter's business was virtually at a standstill, and they had
plenty of spare time in which to prospect for oil, or to prove the truth
of the statement that had so singularly come into George's possession.
Both the owners of the Simpson wood-lot would have much preferred to
make their investigations alone; but since they could give no good
reason as to why the boys should not be allowed to accompany them, nor
none as to why the work should not be begun at once, they were obliged
once more to start out with the moonlighters.
During the ride home the night before, George and Ralph had discussed
the question of what they should do in case oil was found on the
property, and they both felt that in such case they should consider that
Mr. Simpson still had a claim upon the land, even though they had paid
him all he had said he considered it worth.
They would have willingly loaned him the money to pay off the mortgage
if it could have been done as well; but that they thought at the time he
would not accept, and George had purchased the wood-lot. Now, however,
if it should be found that the land was very valuable, neither of the
boys thought it right that they should reap the entire benefit, although
they were legally entitled to do so.
They had feared that, by advancing the money to pay for the land, they
would be seriously hampered in the search for the horses, and when they
were obliged to give up the small amount which they had left, to the
constable at Sawyer, it seemed certain that they would travel under many
disadvantages. But this very lack of money had aided them. If they had
had sufficient to pay for their lodging at the hotel at Babcock, the
chances are that Bob would have remembered that the carriage needed
oiling; they would not have been able to follow the men so closely next
morning, nor would they have stopped at Mr. Folsom's, the only place
where they could have learned of the whereabouts of those whom they were
pursuing.
The purchase of this land, made as it was in pure charity, had been a
great advantage to them, and if it should prove a valuable piece of
property, they intended that Mr. Simpson should be equally benefited.
The title deeds had been left with Farmer Kenniston, while the boys were
away, and there could be no question as to their proprietorship.
The only thing now was to learn whether there really was any oil on the
land, and this they were about to do, although it would have pleased
them much more if they were to go alone, rather than in company with the
moonlighters who had caused them so much trouble.
Jim and Dick had their own team, and Bob proposed to use his horses in
the double wagon, so that in case he wanted to return home before George
and Ralph did, he could do so, and they could get Mr. Simpson to bring
them down.
Since this was to be a regular prospecting trip, which might necessitate
their remaining out of doors all night, blankets and provisions were
packed into the wagon as before, while, in addition, George carried his
surveyor's instruments, that he might be able to locate exactly the spot
marked on the paper, in case they should have any difficulty in finding
it.
On starting out, George insisted that they should first drive through
Sawyer, in order that he might report to the constable, as he had
promised; and, although the moonlighters did not fancy paying this
visit, they were obliged to do so if they wanted to accompany the
fortunate owners of the Simpson wood-lot on their prospecting trip.
There was no difficulty in finding the man who had arrested them on the
night when time was of so much value to them, and by the reception which
he gave George it was easy to see that he had changed his mind somewhat
regarding his guilt, or had heard of the valuable assistance he had
rendered during the conflagration.
"I will report to you at the time appointed," said George, after he had
told the story of finding his horses; "and then I shall have no
difficulty in proving that I knew nothing whatever about the
transportation of the glycerine."
"And I believe that you will not, Mr. Harnett," replied the officer.
"Since it is uncertain as to whether the case will be heard on the day
set, you need not take the trouble to come here until I send you word.
But I should like to see Mr. Hubbard once in a while, for he is so apt
to fly off from one point to another that I shall never feel really
certain of him until he appears."
"Now, see what it is to have a bad name," said Bob, with a grimace. "I
ought to be trusted as entirely as George is, and yet I am not. Don't
worry, Mr. Constable; I will be here in time for the examination, and I
will also call upon you whenever I am in town."
Then Bob drove on toward the Simpson place, Jim and Dick having preceded
the others, for they had no desire to meet a constable even in a
friendly way.
Mr. Simpson was at home when the boys arrived at his farm, and the
reception which both he and his wife gave Ralph and George was something
to be remembered with pleasure by them for many a day.
Had he been allowed to do so, he would have placed everything he owned
at the disposal of the two who had so generously aided him to keep the
home he loved so well; but George stopped the show of gratitude, which
was really becoming embarrassing, by saying:
"You will please us more, Mr. Simpson, by saying nothing about what we
did, for we are likely to be repaid in a very substantial way; and if we
are, you will get more for your wood-lot than you ever dreamed of."
"Is it something in regard to those two men who just left here?" asked
Mr. Simpson, not in the least surprised by what George had said.
"What men do you mean?"
"There were two here when you first came in sight, but they left at once
on account of some business, as I understood. They told me that they
wanted to buy my wood-lot, and when I said that I had already sold it,
they offered to show good signs of oil if they could be paid for the
prospecting they had done."
George, Ralph and Bob looked at each other in surprise. It seemed
certain that Mr. Simpson's visitors must have been the men who had
stolen the team, and yet it was hardly reasonable to suppose that they
would venture back there so soon after having committed the crime.
"Can you describe them, Mr. Simpson?" asked George, feeling ill at ease
because of the coming of these strangers, and yet not understanding why
he did so.
"I can't say I can," replied the old man, slowly; "for, you see, I
hain't much of a hand at that sort of thing, an' I didn't look at 'em
sharp enough. It seems to me that they were youngish, not much older
than you, an' they looked as if they had been havin' a pretty hard
tramp."
"What time did they come here?"
"About an hour ago. They said they had jest come from Babcock, an' got
mother to give 'em some breakfast."
"It don't seem as if there could be any question but that they are the
same ones," said George, speaking slowly to his companions, and looking
worried. "I can't tell why, but it troubles me to have them come back
here."
"Don't be foolish, George," said Bob, speaking rather sharply. "What
harm can they do you? Besides, if they should go to cutting up any
capers, it would be the easiest thing in the world to have them
arrested for stealing your team, and I fancy that would settle them."
The boys had come, believing they should surprise Mr. Simpson by telling
him there was a chance that oil might be found on the land he had sold
so cheaply; but instead of doing so, the old man had startled them
considerably.
"Well," said George, after a short pause, "we are going to leave our
teams here with you, Mr. Simpson, while we start out prospecting the
wood-lot. We believe those men who have just left are the ones who stole
my team, and if you still feel that you would like to do me a favor, you
will keep a sharp lookout over the stable while we are gone, for I do
not think they would hesitate to steal it again if they got the chance."
Mr. Simpson promised to remain within sight of the stable-door all the
time the boys were away, and as proof that he was able to defend the
horses against any number of men, he brought out an old army musket,
minus almost everything save the stock, which he held carefully and
timidly in his hands, thereby causing his wife no little fear.
"If we should find oil, Mr. Simpson," said Ralph, lingering behind after
the others had started, "George and I have agreed that you shall own an
equal share of the lot with us."
Then he hurried away, joining the others quickly, in order that he might
not hear the old gentleman's thanks or expostulations.
George, as well as Bob, believed they could find the place where the
men claimed to have seen signs of oil without any difficulty, and they
started out on what proved to be a vain search; for, after they had
walked several hours, they were no wiser than when they started.
It was plainly of no use to search in this way, and George started back
to the house for his instruments, that he might locate the spot from the
directions on the paper, which he still held in his hand.
The boys, glad of a rest, waited for his return, until, after he had
been absent nearly an hour, when he could easily walk the distance in
twenty minutes, Bob and Ralph started in search of him, leaving Jim and
Dick there in case he should return.
Mr. Simpson both astonished and alarmed them by saying that George had
not been to the house since he first left it, and then they began a
hurried search, which resulted in nothing. They called him by name,
started Jim and Dick out even to the remote portions of the lot; but
without success.
Strange as it seemed, it was nevertheless true that George had
mysteriously disappeared.