“But, ladies and gentlemen, I do my own drillin’, and the fellers that work for me are fellers I know. I make it my business to be there and see to their work. I don’t lose my tools in the hole, and spend months a-fishin’; I don’t botch the cementin’ off, and let water into the hole, and ruin the whole lease. And let me tell you, I’m fixed right now like no other man or company in this field. Because my Lobos River well has jist come in, I got a string of tools all ready to put to work. I can load a rig onto trucks, and have them here in a week. I’ve got business connections, so I can get the lumber for the derrick—such things go by friendship, in a rush like this. That’s why I can guarantee to start drillin’, and put up the cash to back my word. I assure you whatever the others promise to do, when it comes to the showdown, they won’t be there. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s not up to me to say how you’re a-goin’ to divide the royalty. But let me say this; whatever you give up, so as to get together, it’ll be small compared to what you may lose by delay, and by fallin’ into the hands of gamblers and crooks. Ladies and gentlemen, take it from me as an oil man, there ain’t a-goin’ to be many gushers here at Prospect Hill; the pressure under the ground will soon let up, and it’ll be them that get their wells down first that’ll get the oil. A field plays out very quick; in two or three years you’ll see all these here wells on the pump—yes, even this discovery well that’s got you all crazy. So, take my word for it, and don’t break up this lease; take a smaller share of royalty, if you must, and I’ll see that it’s a small share of a big royalty, so you won’t lose in real money. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what I had to say.” The great man stood, as if waiting to see if anyone had anything to answer; then he sat down, and there was a pause in the proceedings. His had been weighty words, and no one quite had the courage to break the spell. At last Mr. Golighty arose. “Friends,” he said, “we have been hearing common sense, from a gentleman in whom we all have confidence; and I for one admit myself convinced, and hope that we may prove ourselves a group of business people, capable of making a wise decision, in this matter which means so much to all of us.” And so Mr. Golighty was started on one of his long speeches, the purport of which appeared to be that the majority should rule. “But that’s just the trouble,” said Mr. Sahm; “what is the majority?” “We take a wote,” said Mr. Chaim Lohlker, “and we find out.” Mr. Merriweather, the lawyer, had been consulting in whispers with his clients. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he now declared, “I am authorized by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Black to say that they have been greatly impressed by what Mr. Ross has said, and they wish to make any concession necessary to harmony. They are willing to waive the point which I raised at the beginning of this discussion, and to sign the lease as it stands.”