"It's a great sight around Derrickville," said the man. "There are hundreds of oil wells in that vicinity. It's about the busiest place for miles around."
Warned by their previous experience, the boys had purchased some overalls and plain caps, and these they donned to protect their other clothing. They found the road to Derrickville deep in mud, and more than once it looked as if the car in which they were riding would get stuck. But Mr. Bradley was a good driver, and always managed somehow to get through.
"It ain't like driving on Broadway," he grinned, "but we've got to make the best of it."
Two hours later found the Rovers in Derrickville. They were left to shift for themselves, Mr. Bradley stating he would take them back to Columbina at five o'clock. They visited a dozen wells or more, and also the pumping station connected with a large pipe line, and then walked over to where the drilling of some new wells was in progress.
"Look!" shouted Fred suddenly. "Look! Am I mistaken, or is that Phil Franklin over there?"
He pointed to a distance, and then he and the others hurried to the spot. There, looking at the work which was going on around a new well, were the man and the boy they had once rescued from the freshet on the Rick Rack River.
CHAPTER XXIII
A QUEER SUMMONS
"Am I seeing straight, and is it really the Rovers?" exclaimed John Franklin, when confronted by the boys.