Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation

o Pete, whom they hired, was betraying them to Newcombe, and each one felt more than uneasy when Jim reported that the

n't been told where we were going. He doesn't know anything more than Newcom

who was even more disturbed by this apparent treach

f. At all events, the only harm he could do us would be to let Newcombe know when we leave

h the purchasing, they grew more easy in their minds, and were incli

ll of which time the detective and his men had been engaged in earnest conversati

bridles from them that they might make a dinner from the ri

ng received some instructions from Newcombe, and as it was nearly dark, the boys believed that the detect

t was not until the setting sun had distorted the shadows of the

ast tin tube by the side of the other two, "we ar

are now," said Jim, rather impatiently, for he thought Bob w

nd I should not be very much surprised if we s

oughly tired of the inactivity as was Ralph, was only anxiou

lace, how far is Hoxie's well

more than half a mile. I surveyed the next trac

ack of the hut, traveling in a str

ld be no diffic

wits about him to station one of his men there. We can, by making two trips, carry enough gl

that Bob's audience testified to their appreciation of it by vigorous a

re to strike one against a tree might result in his immediate departure from the world, shall carry the cartridges. Then there will be four of us, each of w

ht explode it, was such a task as any one might well fear to undertake. But the desire to leave the detective on a weary vig

or the moon was nearly full, and objects could be distinguished almost

the back of the house to the forest was but a few yards, and unless Newcombe

t would aid them, both in their journey through the w

mbe, and they might have continued to do so until it would have been too late t

securely, with wads of paper between to prevent them from rattling; the cans of nitro-glycerine were placed by the window, where they c

t I fancy you will feel safer carrying it than

t is

newcomer to the oil fields looked upon this carrying a usel

lph did not understand, he added: "It is to drop through the ho

ved to carry the go-devil and the cartridges any distance, rather than take the chances of being obl

o the peep-hole that he might be sure the enemy were yet in their

r food, and they are pitching into it as if they were hungry. Now is our time to start. They will be at their

certain that they could not be loosened by any one from the outside,

no time in looking around; but, leaping out, was soon busily engage

was out of doors, Ralph with the cartridges over his shoulder and the go-devil u

ty, as the one most likely to keep a direct course, and Ralph had decided that he would remain as far in the rear as possible; for, when he saw

ar with the explosive, as the others had, and he uttered many a word of caution when

lking; but before Mr. Newcombe and his friends had finished their supper, the moonlig

sk of detection in getting there, and when he learned that they were obliged to make a second trip for mo

owing to Mr. Hoxie's incautious remarks that the detectives had paid them a vis

us compound, Bob insisted that Ralph remain at the well, while the others paid a second visit to the hut in the forest, a proposition w

aution was used. By making quite a detour through the woods, Bob was able to get a full view of the watchful detectives, all of whom were sea

ld be reached from the outside, and, after it was learned that the enemy were still in bl

first, but they certainly walked faster, and when they arrived at their destination, they had been

troubled the young moonlighters was whether the worthy Mr. Newcombe and his

to co