Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation Part 20

Jim and d.i.c.k had their own team, and Bob proposed to use his horses in the double wagon, so that in case he wanted to return home before George and Ralph did, he could do so, and they could get Mr. Simpson to bring them down.

Since this was to be a regular prospecting trip, which might necessitate their remaining out of doors all night, blankets and provisions were packed into the wagon as before, while, in addition, George carried his surveyor's instruments, that he might be able to locate exactly the spot marked on the paper, in case they should have any difficulty in finding it.

On starting out, George insisted that they should first drive through Sawyer, in order that he might report to the constable, as he had promised; and, although the moonlighters did not fancy paying this visit, they were obliged to do so if they wanted to accompany the fortunate owners of the Simpson wood-lot on their prospecting trip.

There was no difficulty in finding the man who had arrested them on the night when time was of so much value to them, and by the reception which he gave George it was easy to see that he had changed his mind somewhat regarding his guilt, or had heard of the valuable a.s.sistance he had rendered during the conflagration.

"I will report to you at the time appointed," said George, after he had told the story of finding his horses; "and then I shall have no difficulty in proving that I knew nothing whatever about the transportation of the glycerine."

"And I believe that you will not, Mr. Harnett," replied the officer.

"Since it is uncertain as to whether the case will be heard on the day set, you need not take the trouble to come here until I send you word.

But I should like to see Mr. Hubbard once in a while, for he is so apt to fly off from one point to another that I shall never feel really certain of him until he appears."

"Now, see what it is to have a bad name," said Bob, with a grimace. "I ought to be trusted as entirely as George is, and yet I am not. Don't worry, Mr. Constable; I will be here in time for the examination, and I will also call upon you whenever I am in town."

Then Bob drove on toward the Simpson place, Jim and d.i.c.k having preceded the others, for they had no desire to meet a constable even in a friendly way.

Mr. Simpson was at home when the boys arrived at his farm, and the reception which both he and his wife gave Ralph and George was something to be remembered with pleasure by them for many a day.

Had he been allowed to do so, he would have placed everything he owned at the disposal of the two who had so generously aided him to keep the home he loved so well; but George stopped the show of grat.i.tude, which was really becoming embarra.s.sing, by saying:

"You will please us more, Mr. Simpson, by saying nothing about what we did, for we are likely to be repaid in a very substantial way; and if we are, you will get more for your wood-lot than you ever dreamed of."

"Is it something in regard to those two men who just left here?" asked Mr. Simpson, not in the least surprised by what George had said.

"What men do you mean?"

"There were two here when you first came in sight, but they left at once on account of some business, as I understood. They told me that they wanted to buy my wood-lot, and when I said that I had already sold it, they offered to show good signs of oil if they could be paid for the prospecting they had done."

George, Ralph and Bob looked at each other in surprise. It seemed certain that Mr. Simpson's visitors must have been the men who had stolen the team, and yet it was hardly reasonable to suppose that they would venture back there so soon after having committed the crime.

"Can you describe them, Mr. Simpson?" asked George, feeling ill at ease because of the coming of these strangers, and yet not understanding why he did so.

"I can't say I can," replied the old man, slowly; "for, you see, I hain't much of a hand at that sort of thing, an' I didn't look at 'em sharp enough. It seems to me that they were youngish, not much older than you, an' they looked as if they had been havin' a pretty hard tramp."

"What time did they come here?"

"About an hour ago. They said they had jest come from Babc.o.c.k, an' got mother to give 'em some breakfast."

"It don't seem as if there could be any question but that they are the same ones," said George, speaking slowly to his companions, and looking worried. "I can't tell why, but it troubles me to have them come back here."

"Don't be foolish, George," said Bob, speaking rather sharply. "What harm can they do you? Besides, if they should go to cutting up any capers, it would be the easiest thing in the world to have them arrested for stealing your team, and I fancy that would settle them."

The boys had come, believing they should surprise Mr. Simpson by telling him there was a chance that oil might be found on the land he had sold so cheaply; but instead of doing so, the old man had startled them considerably.

"Well," said George, after a short pause, "we are going to leave our teams here with you, Mr. Simpson, while we start out prospecting the wood-lot. We believe those men who have just left are the ones who stole my team, and if you still feel that you would like to do me a favor, you will keep a sharp lookout over the stable while we are gone, for I do not think they would hesitate to steal it again if they got the chance."

Mr. Simpson promised to remain within sight of the stable-door all the time the boys were away, and as proof that he was able to defend the horses against any number of men, he brought out an old army musket, minus almost everything save the stock, which he held carefully and timidly in his hands, thereby causing his wife no little fear.

"If we should find oil, Mr. Simpson," said Ralph, lingering behind after the others had started, "George and I have agreed that you shall own an equal share of the lot with us."

Then he hurried away, joining the others quickly, in order that he might not hear the old gentleman's thanks or expostulations.

George, as well as Bob, believed they could find the place where the men claimed to have seen signs of oil without any difficulty, and they started out on what proved to be a vain search; for, after they had walked several hours, they were no wiser than when they started.

It was plainly of no use to search in this way, and George started back to the house for his instruments, that he might locate the spot from the directions on the paper, which he still held in his hand.

The boys, glad of a rest, waited for his return, until, after he had been absent nearly an hour, when he could easily walk the distance in twenty minutes, Bob and Ralph started in search of him, leaving Jim and d.i.c.k there in case he should return.

Mr. Simpson both astonished and alarmed them by saying that George had not been to the house since he first left it, and then they began a hurried search, which resulted in nothing. They called him by name, started Jim and d.i.c.k out even to the remote portions of the lot; but without success.

Strange as it seemed, it was nevertheless true that George had mysteriously disappeared.

CHAPTER XXII.

A CRUEL DEED.

When the boys met in the wood-lot at the spot where George had left them, after they had made the first hurried survey of the place, consternation was imprinted on every face. They knew that Harnett would not voluntarily have gone away without telling them, and an undefined but a very great fear took possession of them.

Each looked at the other as if fearing to speak that which was in his mind, and yet all were conscious that whatever was done to find their missing friend should be done at once.

It seemed so improbable that anything could have happened to him there without their knowing it, that no one ventured to put his suspicions into words, and each waited for the other to speak.

"It can do no good for us to stand here," said Ralph, after he had waited some time for a suggestion from Bob. "George is either not here, or else some accident has happened which prevents him from answering. If he had been here, and as he was when he left us, he must have heard us when we called. Now, what shall we do?"

All three of the moonlighters stood looking at him in silent dismay.

They were bewildered by the sudden disappearance, and Ralph understood that whatever steps were taken toward finding George must be directed by him, for his companions seemed incapable even of connected thought.

"In the first place," he said, "let's make a thorough search of the wood-lot, beginning from this point and working toward the house in the direction he disappeared. If we don't find him here, we will try to make up our minds what to do."

There was no dissenting voice raised against this proposition, and Ralph began the search by directing the boys to stand in a row, about ten feet apart, and then walk straight down to the fence, carefully examining every place in which George could have hidden.

In this way a lane, at least forty feet wide, was examined thoroughly, and as nothing was found by the time they reached the fence, the line was formed again ten feet further on, the march continuing until they reached a point abreast of the one they had started from.

No one spoke during this search, for it seemed as though they were hunting for the lifeless body of their friend, and when again they arrived at the fence, they ranged along in a new line, silently, afraid almost to look at the ground because of that which they might see.

And at least a portion of their fears were to be realized, for as they walked along on this third sad journey, they first found a place where the bushes and ferns had been trampled down as if some desperate struggle had taken place, and then, a few feet further on, almost hidden in a pile of brushwood, they saw that for which they sought.

It was the body of George, looking as if all life had departed, the face beaten by cruel blows until it was nearly unrecognizable, the clothing torn, and lying still as death.

Even then no one spoke; no cry of alarm or of astonishment was given, for this was what they had been expecting to find during all the search.

Neither of the moonlighters had recovered from their first bewilderment, and, as if this show of helplessness on the part of his companions nerved him up, Ralph still preserved his presence of mind.

Kneeling down by the apparently lifeless body, Ralph unfastened or tore apart the clothing, until he could lay his hand over his friend's heart.