THE SHOT.
It is barely possible that when Bob stood over the aperture with the
iron poised in his hands which was to be the means of opening to them
the mystery of the well, there was just a shade of fear at his heart
that he had been mistaken in the signs, and that an upward rush of
water, would be all that would follow the explosion.
His partners noted a look of almost painful hesitation on his face for
an instant, and, then, as it vanished, he dropped the go-devil,
retreating to where the group of anxious watchers were gathered around
George's chair.
The seconds that followed the dropping of the iron were wonderfully long
ones, and it seemed as if each one present ceased to breathe, as the
time had come when the value or worthlessness of the well was to be
decided.
Then was heard three distinct reports, somewhat louder than had been
heard at the Hoxie well, because of the charge being nearer the surface
of the earth, and this was followed by the black, noisome vapor that
wreathed slowly around the aperture as if sent by the demons of the
earth to keep back those venturesome mortals who would seek to penetrate
their secrets.
No one spoke, and each eye was riveted upon the mouth of the well, to
read there the story which was soon told. First came a shower of water,
breaking into drops as it reached the surface, sparkling in the sun like
diamonds, and then uprose, not slowly and waveringly as Ralph had seen
it once before, but shooting quickly in the air, a transparent, greenish
column of oil, that broke amid the timbers of the derrick, shattering
into splinters the smaller joists and scattering them in every
direction.
It was clearly and unmistakably oil, not in any small quantity, or sent
with any slight force; but a discharge which, from its volume and
intensity, showed how vast was the reservoir from which it had come, how
great the strength of confined gas that sent it heavenward.
For nearly five minutes the spectators sat watching the flow of oil
which told of the value of "The Harnett," until Bob broke the spell that
bound them, by shouting:
"Hurrah for 'The Harnett!' Hurrah for petroleum!"
In an instant all present, even including George, burst into loud shouts
of welcome to the long-confined and valuable product of the earth which
was theirs.
During the thirty minutes that the new well spouted, congratulations
were poured in on Bob from all sides, for through his efforts had this
work been done, and without him it might have been many years before
such a scene would have been witnessed on the Simpson wood-lot.
The partners hardly knew how to express their joy. George was quietly
happy; but the unusual brilliancy of his eyes and the flush on his
cheeks told of the deep but suppressed excitement under which he was
laboring. In that steady upward flow of oil he saw a competency for
himself and his mother, which he had not dreamed he should secure during
many long years of toil, and as he clasped her fervently by the hand,
she knew that it was of the many things this well would produce which
would add to her comfort that he was thinking.
Old Mr. Simpson and his wife stood with clasped hands, looking at the
representation of wealth which was pouring out before them, and in their
eyes, even as they gazed, was a far-away look, as if they were thinking
of their loved ones who, when on this earth, had been deprived of many
of the necessaries of life, while wealth beyond their wildest imaginings
lay beneath their very feet.
Ralph was laboring under the most intense excitement, which he strove
vainly to suppress. He had not, like George, been obliged to battle with
the world for those things which money can buy; but he saw before him a
course already marked out, which he had believed he would be obliged to
struggle very hard to reach.
Now he was rich, and all those things he had desired could be his.
Jim and Dick were loud in their demonstrations of joy that their last
shot had produced such magnificent results; but their old partner, Bob,
outstripped them all in loud rejoicings. He had demonstrated beyond the
possibility of an argument that his location of the oil belt in the
vicinity was correct, and he had done so even as against the theories of
those older and more experienced in the business than himself.
In addition, one-quarter of all this was his, and he was what he had
long dreamed of being--an oil producer.
The length of time which the well flowed demonstrated the fact that, if
it would not produce a thousand barrels of oil per day, the yield would
not fall far short of that, and when it finally ceased flowing, Bob was
transformed into the steady, hard-working superintendent he had been
since the work was first commenced.
It was necessary that something be done at once to save all this oil
which was now going to waste, and he directed the workmen at once how
they should begin.
Unknown to his partners, Bob had already made arrangements for the
building of a tank, and, as soon as the workmen were engaged with the
tubing, he started Jim off to town with a message to the contractors
that no time might be lost in getting at the work.
Before Jim left, Ralph gave him a message which he wanted him to send to
his father. It was short, containing only these words:
"Well just opened. Good for eight hundred barrels per day."
On reading it, Bob insisted that the eight hundred should be changed to
one thousand, since that would probably be nearer the actual yield; but
Ralph let it remain as it was, preferring to be two hundred barrels
short of the actual yield rather than two hundred barrels over.
Mrs. Harnett persuaded George to return to the house as soon as the
first flow had ceased; and, aided by Ralph and Mr. Simpson--for the
others were too busy to be able to help him--he went back, fancying, as
soon as he was away from the well, that he had dreamed of the wonderful
things he had seen, and that it could not be a reality.
His friends were not certain whether he had been injured or benefited by
the excitement; but he was so thoroughly tired out when he reached his
room that he was obliged to go to bed at once, and there he fell into a
long, sweet sleep, from which he did not awaken until evening.
As may be imagined, everything was in the greatest state of activity
around "The Harnett" during the remainder of that day and all the night,
making ready to save the oil which then was being lost, and before the
morning came, those who were working at the well decided that even Bob's
estimate of a thousand barrels was too small.
"The Harnett" was flowing at the rate of twelve hundred barrels of oil
per day, and that represented at least as many dollars, although the
price of oil might fall much lower than it then was, when the supply
exceeded the demand.
"If there is anybody that thinks now that the oil-belt don't extend up
this way, I should like to have them come up and take a squint at 'The
Harnett.' She's spouting like a daisy, and I knew she would, from the
first," said Bob, as he came in to breakfast next morning, after having
worked all night, his joy so great that he did not even feel the
fatigue.
George seemed almost well on this morning, and he took his seat with the
others at the breakfast-table, much as if he was as strong as any of
them, while his looks did not belie his actions.
"I knew you'd be well this morning," said Bob, gleefully, "for no matter
how weak you were, such a sight as you saw yesterday would put the
strength into you."
And then the ex-moonlighter's tongue rattled on as if it had, as motive
power, a greater force than that which sent the oil up through "The
Harnett."
Bob was as full of business as ever on this morning. By common consent,
and without the necessity of any conversation on the matter, he had been
tacitly accepted as superintendent, and it was not possible for him,
just then, to spend many idle moments.
Already had the work on the tank been begun, and until it was finished,
"The Harnett" would be connected with an empty one, about two miles
away, the tubing being already nearly in position.
Bob had sent, the night before, for more workmen, and he confidently
expected that by night all the product of "The Harnett" could be saved.
Old Pete, who had acted as a sort of watchman and guard for Bob when he
was a moonlighter, had been sent for to fill a similar position at the
well, and very many schemes were in progress.
A house was to be built for the accommodation of the workmen, and this
Bob insisted Ralph should attend to at once, as it was needed sadly.
Mr. Simpson was charged with making a road to lead from the highway to
the well, and since George was not strong enough to do any other work,
he was made book-keeper and cashier, as well as general financier.
Jim and Dick were both hired by the owners of "The Harnett," one to act
as general messenger and clerk to George, and the other for such
important duties as the partners might not be able to attend to.
In fact, before sunset of the day after the well had been opened, each
one of the owners was hard at work, and when they had ceased their
labors for the day, gathering in George's room, now turned office, for a
chat, Bob rather startled them by the information that it was his
purpose to sink another well close by the house, as soon as he should
get matters straightened out at "The Harnett."