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cast upon Bob Carter or his true friend,
«Abner | .
They had been fair and honorable. This
fact was not lost sight of, and no effort on
. Dobson's part could turn obloquy or re-
* proach upon
_— Bob took matters more seriously to heart
‘than Mr. True. Not on account of his own
losses, however, but to think that Mr,
‘True bad lost his fortune.
‘“Phat’s all right, my boy,” Mr, True
e>iid, bravely, “Allis not Tost yet. Lam
rot an old man, and we can yet begin life
oepae yet this dfd not seem soeasy. It is
always possible to make money with
money, but not always easy to do it with-
oWhile casting about for a new opening,
some new incidents arose to claim the at-
tention of both, however. One day Bob
received a letter, Thus it read:
““RoBeRT CaRTER, Esq.
“Will you and. Str, ‘True kindly dro nop int into my
«Bice at your earliest convenience an
| “KIRK Lnowee
i | “Att'y-at. Saw
\ Ahl” thought Bob, ‘That, no doubt,
refers to the case in court with Dobson
zbout the lan
Ib cecurred | to Bob that it might be well
now to default the case to Dobson, as the
land was now proven valueless by the loss
cf the oil well,
is was mentioned to the
young lawyer he cried, vigorously:
“B means! The land must not be
given up!
“But I fear the expense of holding it
will not warrant us,” said Mr, Tru
*Pshaw I’ cried Brown. ‘that o il well
ma. start up again. Fine thing, wouldn't
it, for Austin Dobson to have ownership
. No, sir! I never undertook a case
. to abandon it. I am going to clear the
title to that Jand.”
fear we shall not be able to recom.
pense you sulliciently for your services,”
said Mr, True,
The e lawyer snapped his fingers,
“Thave not charged yol you a cent for my
services yet," said “‘Yhe case is
still pending, My services shall be free
until the fight is won.
“Your generosity—” began Bob, but
the lawyer wen
“Phere is no generosity about it. It is
simply a matter of business, I am goin.
to defeat that old Dobson at any cost.
have one advantage of him. _ I do not have
to employ counsel.”
mee] fave had a talk with Lane & Lee,
° They are enot so very confident, All of
these men who deeded the land are dead,
The records may have been falsified, an
doubtless were, If I am able to prove that,
it will be a serious matter for Mr. Dobson,
“T only wish your predictions could be
verified,” said Mir. 4 rue, “But Iam not
80, Sanguine, Bro
> It is because you are crippled just now,
You have lost your money, But you will
feel differant by a _ The case will
‘Will you try it then?’
“N8t unless I can make mi good. I
think I iy! ave it put o
“Well, I hope ye will be “anceesstal.”
“Thani you, I feel that I will.”
“ We cannot express our ten gratitude,
Mr. Brown, | for your kind interest in this
matter,” sai “ only assure
you that itis deeply a ciated.”
|** That is nothing, Bob, said | the he Foung
lawyer. ** My areer is yet to
intend to make it in battling tor, the right.
Perhaps this is my opportun
“I Jike that young Brown? said Mr.
T nue, after he and Bob had left the office,
eis a square young man, I believe he
ist Sincere in what he says.”
“You may be sure of it,” cried Bob.
“Oh, if he could only prove that claim
false,
Bob went home and sat up until a late
Lour that night working on the accounts
cf the defunct oi! company.
{It was a sad realization to him that fail
ure had greeted his efforts, and that bh
fortune so luckily won had vanished in
the vapor,
But Bob Carter was not the one to give
way to defeat, .
The world was beforehim yet. This was
only his first venture and his first defeat.
He could yet retrieve his fortunes in
something eise. He tried to think what
this shou
But te was not 80 easy.
1 the avenues of trade and business in
the Hinnted sphere of Toddviile seemed so
fally occu ied that there was little chance,
The world lay beyon
Sat peraps it was bad out there,
Every place might be iiee Toddville i in that
respect, Thus Lob theorized and philoso-
phized. aad wearied his brain until a late
oe hen he retired J he passed through his
father’s room, ney Carter was sleep-
ing peacefully, Syave reached down and
stroked the poor head which had once been
the tenement of a bright and vigorous
ind,
. te Poor dad !" he exclaimed, gently, ‘If
—+ HAPPY
you could recover your memory we would
put Austin Dobson behind bars, where he
deserves to be.”
The slee, eping man stirred restlessly and
murmure
“Wh ae yes, I remember, I can see it all
now. The secret drawer—there—there it
ist I tell you that is the paper. I want
m owns I will have i
hen he moaned and tossed and Bob
glided away to his own chamber. His eyes
were wet with tears, It was indeed a hard
cross wy which Bob Carter was called upon
ear.
Bob turned t in and tried tosleep, But it
was of little
The night “hours wore away. When
morning came he arose haggard and wan,
Contentment of mind is a treasure un-
riced. Worriment and unrest are the
forerunners of certain dea
The world hac taken on a suddenly dark
and ominous aspect to
found howcompletely the wheel of fortune
had turned upon him,
hey were dark days, In vain he tried
to find lucrative employ oyment. Day by day
his resources were t! Dg away.
And now Bob Tearned. the lesson of pov-
erty. lie learned who were his true
fricads and who were not,
CHAPTER XIV,
A STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT.
THOSE people who had been so profus
in other days in their manifestations of
friendship now saw fit i. ignore Bob and
passed him carelessly
The young financier noted this, “and ex-
perienced manya Be ievous heart pang, But
yet his pride held his courage w
Secretly he was deeply wounded. But
outwardly his lip curled with scorn and
his breast filled with resentment and right-
eous indignation.
“You Pharisees !” he muttered.
friendship has not the value of cheap brass,
he day will come again when you will
seek me out once more with flattery’ and
adulation.”
But_ the would not deceive him when
that t day should
his friends. “Bob found but few
stench andtrue, The Prices stood loyally
y him
Talbert Price was himself beggared by the
failure of the oil works, But he did not
emur,
“It’s all right, Bob,” he said. “I’ve as
much as I had when I started in to work
for you, and I can’t find any fault,”
m Price, he more than proved
himself Bob's I friend in a signal manne:
he encountered Clifford Small
in a fashionable crowd of young men.
The young sycophant was feeling a bit
pompous: and took occasion to air his ill-
“ ilello, Blubber !” he called out to Sam,
“They say you and Bob Carter had a er.
ing scrape over the failure of the oil com-
pany. Haven’t got over your babyhood
ays yet, have you?”
Sams face crimsoned,
Allt oung sports with Small laughed
loudly. * arkley Dobson guffawed justily.
3 12 made such a palpable hit b
sally, it ocenred to Small to try anot! cn
ook!” hecried, ‘ Iedon't wear such
fine Wetentheathes now, floes he? .Aristoc-
racy has had a come down !”
ain the crowd roa
This settled it, Sam’ 3 fi
was up, He walked coolly up to Small and
sai
b “« “Clift Smail. are you going to take that
ac
Small stared at Sam, who was much
more slender, and then began to grin. His
companions egged hi
s jho! Now you' re ‘in fora thrashing,
mal
ook at the bantam weight! He is h
going to give you an uppercu
* You're done for, Small?”
And thus the crowd of young loafers jol-
lied freix companion, Sam listened to all
grim:
But, Small, who felt sure that he hada
cinch, shrugged | his shoulders and leered
insolently at
“Eh, what's ‘that, youngster?” f he asked,
“You want to pick’ a row with me?”
wants satisfaction, litt,” said
Harkey, pe in and give him all hi
wants of
“Let him say 80,” said Cliff, coolly.
am very quietly and very coolly pulled
off his jacket. His face was white, but
mobile, Ilis eyes held a light of detezmin,
atio
Nobody had ever before seen Sam Price
show fi e was noted as the best-
Satured y in Toddville, It can be under-
stood that this action on his part was a
surprise,
Small might have felt uneasy and per-
paps backed down had it not been for the
fact that Sam was mach Smaller, and he
believed he could crush bh
“What? he exclaimed. ope you actu-
aly mean to fight me, Sam Price?”
to give you the best. licking I] Bo
can,” said Sam, frmaly. “IT wouldn't mind
a
ghting blood
DAYS ‘se.
aninsult to myself, but you're not going to
sling mud, at Bob Carter behind his back
any more,”
ho! You are going to fight Bob Car-
ter’ 3 battles, are you?”
“If he was here you, wouldn’ tdare open
your mouth.” sai “T don’t know
much about ‘fighti "es but 1 wn going to Jick
you, I think ‘you ¢ ese!
“So you desery My it? mimicked
Small, -who ane be elated at this appar-
ent cbance to crush a youth smaller than
bimeelt “Well, come ahead and give it to
me.”
A ring was made and the two boys were
in the eenter of it, but before the battle
could begin a quiet but keen voice sounded
behind them,
“Goin, Sam! You can thrash him, and
if you don’t I will. Stand aside some of
you fellows, Sam Price is going to have
fair play.”
It was Bob Car
None of those yeeront cared to encounter
Bob in fair fight. Harkley Dobson edged
away to the other side of the ring and
Small looked discomfited.
1 crowd gave way and Bob appeared
in the edge of the ring,
am smiled, for Bob's presence gave him
wonderful courage, though for that mat-
ter, he had not been intimidated from the
Fy
I
“Fair play now |” said Bob sternly. ‘I
shall not interfere, nor shall anyone else r
An evil smile appeared on Small’s face, fice,
as he looked down upon Sam. He double
his fists and made a savage blow at his
antagonist.
Sam slightly moved his head and avoided
Jeon continued to have’ the flow of oil
checked gradually in the wells.
ltwasa stunning ¢ conviction.
ith a woman's astute-
ow ‘can he take possession
of the wells when they are not as yet his
property
est so!” cried Albert Price, “There
ou are, Bob, Go down and take posses-
sion of your own, Every man in Toddyille
will back you up!”
“ Hurrah !” cried Sam, “ “Tm going down
to lick old Dobson now.”
Bob picked up his hat.
“Excuse me, friends fs he said. “I can
see that there is = important work before
me. You won
t me o with you, Bob?” cried Sam,
**No,” said Bob, “I must find Mr, ‘True,
Something must be don ne,”
Bi t once hustled downtown. He
ound Mr, True dust entering ibe office of
Kirk Brown, the young law:
“Hello, Bob!” cried the lumberman, ex-
elo “Have you heard the news?”
ub the oil wells?”
“ey fave just heard it.”
“ And Iwas just starting out tofind you,”
said Mr, True, “‘ but on the way I thought
Lr a run in and consult Lawyer Brow:
“Let us do that, by all Mneans |” cried
Bob. “ Perhaps | he ‘will know of a plan to
checkmate Dobson.”
Together they. went up into Brown's of-
The ‘2° ung lawyer was engaged in
dictal ating to a stenographer as they en-
tered. He looked and bowed with a smile.
“ Have a seat, gentlemen,” he said, “I
will be at leisure in a moment,”
it. Then he struck back, ‘the light was] ‘Excuse me,” said Mr, True, “but ibisa
very important mal
The excitement was intense. Blows| “Then I will dro this work and he with
were given and taken. Partisan feeling
was high, and some of the prejudiced ones
wante to dip in also. But Bob held them
** Your | bac!
There was not the slightest doubt in
Bob's mind as to the outcome,
He knew that spirit alone would win the
fight forSam. He was fighting fora prin-
side! and with the sense of right upon his
e
t Small knew he was in the wrong.
Ths was half the battle.
Small, if heavier, was more
Sam. ‘This began to tell.
and now Sam came to the
Time after timé he Tanded on Small's
face, until one of his eyes was blackened
and his nose bled. Then Sam saw that he
had the best of it, and held back, saying:
“Vi you a chance, Clift Small.
Apologize for veut insults and we will end
the fight right her
Small instantly” accepted the offer,
Honor was aslight matter to him, and he
had gotten enough, . Soh aid:
“AN righ
ri
umsy than
He red visibly,
inst
just fee
ike fighting now, If there is any other
man in this crowd who wants to take your
place I’m ready, I rather like fighting, al-
Phough this is the first fight I ever tried. ”
But the challenge was not accepted.
Slowly the throng dis ispersd and the affair
was over, Sam most unscratched,
Sal b, “‘you have done a bi
I'm glad you thrashed that bully,
oo much, and I just had to, ° Ro
let's go home and Ret some dinner.”
t was no uncommon thing for Bob to
Fo do. down to the Prices with Sam and take
inn
So ‘together they went down to the Price
home. Sue was there and welcomed Bob
Ww.
arly,
“ way,” she said, “II.
eard the pis job 2” ave you
What?” asked ou
BE
at the oil has be;
to flow jn the wells again, and that sus
rin De Dobson has put a gang of men to work
CHAPTER XV,
AT THE OIL WELLS,
.
Ligutnino from a clear sky could not
have given Bob Carter a greater shock
than this startling announcement.
He sprang wu
“ What is that, , Sue?” he gasped,
you not b doking
ol ast heard Pthe story downtown,”
orehead and whistled,
he Analy declar
Foul p!
bere Price had heard all, and now he
said, forcibly and with convictio:
“Ri ig)
tyou are, Bob, It was ali a black
game,’
“A'g
chred out of our own,
“Are
replied the young
s for a moment. He
Then
“Fou: 1 play! ‘That is just what it was,
me, as sure as you live,” rejoined
1b, S We simply have been cleverly eu:
‘ou at once,” rown, He spoke in a
iow tone to the stenographe:
He then advanced to the door of his pri-
vate office
in here,” he said,
They ¢ atered the office and Brown closed
the door, He tu tned to Mr. True, but the
lumberman sai
rown, the crisis has come, It is now
make or break, Dobson has invaded our
Jand at the oil wells, and has put a gang at
work there. It is said the wells have be-
gun to tlow again.”
The young lawyer save a violent start,
e stared at the speaker,
“ Whi at?” he gasped.
“Do you mean
=
=
rp
very word of i
“And that old t itinudgeon has darea to
start up those wells without consulting
me or you, or anybody else? Why, the case
has not yet been tried and he has no legal
claim of ownership.
* But th. at is mht he has done, Can he
o such a th
Brown hittted. Then he placed his
hands in his pockets and walked the floor
a& moment,
Presently he s:
“He is aioe oar bluff!
have abandoned the oil wells, Ie knows
that his claim on the land may be sus-
tained. Itis a question as to whom the
and belongs. Possession is nine-tenths of
the law, If we try to drive him off he will
force us to resort to the law. He has
turned the tables on us, ‘That is bad!"
“What can be done
‘There is only one move,” said Brown,
riskly. “An injuction. I can see that
he has done this by Jegal advice, Ah, wells
we may beat him yet. By the way! id
yousay phat oil had begun to flow again?” {
es
You see you
“And it t stopped very suddenly and mye
teriously pat ¢ you were there?”
pedi ibanea against his desk and stared |
at Bob § and Mr, True. ‘hen he said, very
ow,
‘Yt
“By Jovel That Is tis adeep game, If we
could only pro
“I believe it, * “cried M Mr, True. ‘Icannot
say just how the thing was done, nor does
it seem hardly possible, Yet I do believe
that the oil well was stopped i in some man-
nerso as to effect our ri
rt
s
out among themen. Seeif Dobson did not
dig a tunnel or lay 4 pipe or sometbing. If
we can only prove
The young lawser brought his band
down on his desk witha c
“It will prove a boomerang, “and Austin
Dobson is ruined forever.
ob and ‘Mr, True felt like cheering.
They believed that this could be done.
irk I Brown, the young lawyer, picked up
is hat,
“T will get an injunction from Judge
Foster at once,” he cried, “Go there,
Claim everything in sight, Order. Dobson
and his men off the property. Threaten
suit for trespass, anything, everything, 1
will be with you later,
Away rushed Brown to see the judge
at——”
to a stable and hired a couple of saddle
S
So
In some way Dob.
rses,
They did not spare whip nor spur until
nt Ze
oe secs ast Mave
eee
SA ic ma rmemens mesoticnree mare eet,
Tb em
5
‘