Produced by Roger Frank, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net RALPH GURNEY'S OIL SPECULATION By JAMES OTIS Author of "The Cruise of the Sprite," "The Clown's Protege," "Roy Barton's Adventures on the Mexican Border," Etc. [Illustration] A. L. BURT COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Copyright 1883 BY JAMES ELVERSON RALPH GURNEY'S OIL SPECULATION Renewal Granted to JAMES OTIS KALER, 1911 RALPH GURNEY'S OIL SPECULATION. CHAPTER I. THE "CHUMS." The puffing, panting engine that dragged the long train of heavy cars into the busy little city of Bradford, in the State of Pennsylvania, one day last summer, witnessed through its one white, staring eye, sometimes called the head-light, many happy meetings between waiting and coming friends; but none was more hearty than that between two college mates--one who had graduated the year previous, and the other who hoped to carry off the honors at the close of the next term. "Here at last!" exclaimed George Harnett, as he met his old chum with a hearty clasp of the hand. "In this case, if the hope had been much longer deferred, the heart would indeed have been sick." "It was thoughtless in me, old fellow, not to have sent you word when I concluded to remain at home two days longer, but the fact of the matter is that I did not think you would be at the depot to meet me, but would let me hunt you up, for I suppose you do have some kind of an office." "Yes," laughed the young man, "I have an office; but since my work just now is several miles from here, I am seldom at home, and was obliged to come for you, or run the chance of having you spend a good portion of your vacation hunting for me." "And are you sorry yet that you chose civil engineering for a profession?" "Sorry! Not a bit of it! Up here there is more excitement to it than you are aware of, and before you have finished your vacation, you will say that the life of a civil engineer in the oil fields of Pennsylvania is not by any means monotonous. But come this way. My team is here, and while we are talking we may as well be riding, for we have quite a little journey yet before us, over roads so bad, that you can form no idea of them by even the most vivid description." "But I thought you lived here in Bradford." "I live where my work is, my boy, and since it happens just now to be out of town, my home, for the time being, is in as old and comfortable a farm-house as city-weary mortals could ask for." "Well, I can't say that I shall be sorry to live in the country--for awhile, at least."