"But can we do it?" asked Ralph, thinking that he would be of but little service, since his knowledge of the oil business was confined to what he had seen of the moonlighters' operations.
"Of course we can. I have done a good deal of prospecting, and, except that I couldn't find the place they describe by measurements, I can do the work better than George, for he has had no experience whatever."
"I am willing to do it if I can," said Ralph, "for surely we can be doing no harm in trying to prove whether the property is valuable or not."
"No harm! Of course there wouldn't be any!" cried Bob, growing enthusiastic over his scheme. "And if we do find things as plain as I believe we shall, there will be no trouble in borrowing money enough to sink the well at once, so that when George gets out we could surprise him with a little oil property that would make his eyes stick out."
Ralph felt almost as if he was losing his breath at the "size" Bob's scheme was assuming, and he said, faintly:
"Oh, we wouldn't do that!"
"Indeed, but we would, and I reckon Harnett wouldn't feel very badly about it either."
"If you were sure of striking oil, I'm not sure but that father would advance the necessary money to do it," he said, falling in at once with Bob's scheme, he was so dazzled by it.
"That would be all the better," cried Bob, excitedly; "and I tell you what it is, Gurney, if I don't show you a five-hundred-barrel well in that same wood-lot, you shall have my head for a football."
Ralph was hardly in need of such a plaything, but Bob's scheme had so excited him that when he did finally succeed in getting to sleep that night, it was only to dream of wonderful wells spouting wonderfully pure oil.