The young girl vanished through a door at the back.
Tom went to the front door and threw it open.
“Just to save Mr. Hankinshaw the trouble,” he remarked.
“I’ll go when I get ready,” snarled Hankinshaw, who was fighting mad at the collapse of his scheme. “I’ll——”
He stopped short as the gigantic form of Koku blocked the door.
“Come in, Koku,” said Tom. “By the way, Hankinshaw, you remember Koku, don’t you? You met him the night that you couldn’t sleep. He’s a genial sort of fellow, and——”
But Hankinshaw at the sight of Koku had risen from his chair with alacrity and followed his partners from the room.
When they had gone, Tom and Ned and the judge got down to business, and it was not long before they had settled on terms.
Tom had agreed previously with Ned and Mr. Damon that they would go into the oil venture as partners with equal investments and equal profits or losses. And the terms that were made with Mr. Goby were not only fair, but generous. He was to receive a large lump sum at once for the privilege accorded Tom and his partners of drilling on his farm. If the venture failed, he would still have the farm and a large sum of money. If oil were struck, he was to have a good share of the profits. So that either way he would win.
With the contract signed, Tom and Ned set to work. Through the aid of Judge Wilson, they were able to secure the services of experienced and reliable drillers. Much of their material had already arrived, and other necessaries were secured from the owners of abandoned wells in the vicinity.