During the meal Jack noticed that his father was reading a letter very attentively, and when the party walked back to their Pullman he mentioned this fact.
"This is a letter from an oil well promoter," said Dick Rover. "I don't exactly know what to make of it. He makes a proposition which on the face of it looks rather good, but somehow or other I have got it in my head that he is a crook."
"In that case, Dad, I'm sure you won't want to have anything to do with him."
"Is he a New York man or one from down in Texas?" questioned Fred, who overheard this conversation.
"He operates mostly in Texas, although he has some connection in New York. He is very anxious to form a new company, and, of course, sell the stock. Well, I am willing to go into a new thing and take stock for myself and try to dispose of some to others, provided the company is really a good one. But I don't want to get mixed up in any shady transaction."
"I should say not!" cried Jack. "The Rover name has always been a clean one."
"What is the name of this promoter?" questioned Fred.
"Carson Davenport."
"What's that?" exclaimed Jack, somewhat startled.
"Carson Davenport. Did you ever hear that name before?"