Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation Part 33

"If you mean by that that you're afraid some of Ma.s.sie's men may get in here, you're mistaken," said Bob, stoutly. "Unless we have a mind to let them, which isn't at all likely, there won't one of them get a chance to so much as show his nose inside."

Now that Mr. Simpson had succeeded in gathering his scattered faculties once more, and understood that everything might yet be well with them, he seemed suddenly to have grown young again, for he was as eager in watching for approaching danger as Bob was.

"Don't fear for us!" he shouted, as Mr. Hillman and Ralph drove down the lane. "We can keep a regiment of them at their distance," and he acted much as if he believed all he said.

It was about two hours after Ralph and the lawyer drove away, when Bob was honored with another visit from Mr. Ma.s.sie's messengers, but this time they did not come in sufficient force to cause any alarm.

The lawyer and two men drove up to the lane, where Bob, having seen them while they were yet some distance away, had a force of five men, and the following conversation took place:

"I am instructed by Mr. Marcus Ma.s.sie, the rightful owner of this place, to take possession of it at once, and to order you off the grounds as trespa.s.sers," said the lawyer. "Do you intend to prevent us from an exercise of our legal rights?"

"I intend to prevent you from coming in here," replied Bob, "and I warn you now that I will seriously injure the first one who attempts to come on to this land, which belongs to Mr. Simpson."

"I have made the demand upon you," continued the lawyer, in an unruffled tone, "and I tell you now that my client will proceed against you if you thus attempt by force to prevent him from the exercise of his just and lawful rights."

"Your client may proceed to do whatever he can, and just as soon as he can, and if my answer has not been sufficiently plain, I tell you again that none of you can come in here."

And Bob made a demonstration with his club which appeared to convince the lawyer that he would have no hesitation about using it on his precious body.

"I have warned you," said the legal gentleman, viciously, "and now you can take the consequences."

"And I have warned you!" cried Bob, "and I'm certain that you will take the consequences if you attempt to come here, where neither you nor your client have any rights."

With this pleasant conversation, the lawyer and his companions drove away, and once more was Bob master of the situation.

The next arrivals to the disputed property were Mr. Gurney, Mr. Hillman and Ralph. The former had started as soon as he had received his son's telegram, and from the look on Ralph's face, it was easy to see that the two lawyers, after a consultation together, did not consider the situation a desperate one.

"Father says that even if George doesn't succeed in finding Thompson, he believes it will be possible to show to the satisfaction of a jury that Mr. Simpson paid off the mortgage," said Ralph, as the two lawyers entered the house, leaving the boys alone in the stable-yard. "Of course if this witness could be found, everything could be settled at once."

Ralph's father was also able to do something for the immediate relief of the owners of "The Harnett."

On the morning after his arrival, and the guardians of the property had been undisturbed during the night, Mr. Gurney and Mr. Hillman went into town, where they succeeded in getting bondsmen for the boys, thus releasing the property from attachment. They also began a suit against Mr. Ma.s.sie, to restrain him from taking any further steps in the matter until the question of owners.h.i.+p could be decided at law.

While they were absent, George returned, and with him was the missing witness, Mr. Jared Thompson. He had been found at Babc.o.c.k, and since he had no business on hand he was perfectly willing to accompany George, and all the more so because he had been promised he should be well paid for his time, which, just then, was of no value to him.

He remembered distinctly seeing Mr. Simpson at Ma.s.sie's office, and of seeing him pay over a large roll of money, which he stated was the amount of the mortgage. He also heard Ma.s.sie say, after he had counted the money, that it was "all right," and saw him hand Mr. Simpson the mortgage, which he took from his safe.

After that Mr. Thompson heard some conversation between the two men relative to the purchase of the wood-lot; but, since he was not interested in the matter, he left the office shortly after it had begun.

On the arrival of Mr. Gurney from town--for he returned alone, since there was no necessity for Mr. Hillman to accompany him after the bonds had been given for the release of the property--he questioned the witness George had brought, and then stated that there was no further cause for anxiety about the matter, since this testimony would answer 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. Ma.s.sie.

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 Ma.s.sie'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 circ.u.mstances, and in less than an hour from the time the case was called, a verdict had been given in favor of Mr. Simpson, who was advised by the judge to demand of Ma.s.sie a written release, and there was no longer any question as to the owners.h.i.+p of "The Harnett."

So far as Ralph was concerned, the case had been decided none too soon.

It was time for him to return to college, and on the next day, in company with his father, he bade his partners adieu for a year, as he returned to his studies. Ralph Gurney's vacation was at an end, as this story should be, since it promised simply to tell of that time.

With the story brought to a close, the work of the author should be ended, unless, as in this case, he makes brief mention of what has happened, concerning the princ.i.p.al characters, from that time until the present.

Ramsdell and Dean were convicted of the a.s.sault on George, and sentence of two years in the State prison p.r.o.nounced against them, the charge of stealing the team still hanging over their heads, in case George wants to press it when their term of imprisonment has ended, which is not probable.

While Ralph was finis.h.i.+ng his collegiate course, Bob worked at the new well, and when it was opened, he telegraphed to Ralph:

"New well just shot. Another victory for the moonlighter, for it is not more than two hundred barrels less than the other."

And Ralph replied:

"I claim the right to name it. It shall be called 'The Moonlighter.'"

When Ralph graduated, he owned a quarter of three good, paying wells, and Bob has now an idea that it will pay to open another some distance away, where he has been prospecting for the past month.

Mr. and Mrs. Simpson still live on the old farm, and George, Ralph and Bob live with them; but a new house has been built by the side of the old one, for the old couple would not consent that their first home should be torn down, and at any time that the readers visit that section of the country, they should not fail to look at "The Harnett," which still flows as it did during Ralph Gurney's vacation.

THE END.