"Four of them were nothing but kids," returned the other. "It's only the man who counts, and his name seems to be Richard Rover." "Do you think he is the same Rover?" "I shouldn't wonder, Tate. That name isn't a common one. However, we had better make sure before we make another move." Andy and Fred were the first to get through washing up, and then they came downstairs to take a look around before going into the dining-room with the others for supper. They came out on the hotel porch, and were surveying the scene before them when the two men who had inspected the hotel register lounged up to them. "Well, what do you think of our town?" questioned one of them pleasantly. "I haven't seen enough of it to form an opinion," answered Fred. "It will take us a week or two, I suppose, to take in all the sights," came from Andy, with a grin. "It might take you a week or two if you went on foot through the mud," answered the second man. And then he continued: "I suppose you came from a distance, eh?" "We came from New York." "Going to invest in some oil wells, I suppose?" remarked the first man who had spoken, and he smiled broadly. "That depends on how we find things here," answered Fred. "You see, my uncle is interested in a tract of land they say has oil on it. Of course he'll want to make an investigation before he goes ahead." "Is that man who is with you your uncle?" "Yes." "Is the tract of land he is interested in near here?" questioned the second man. "I don't know how close it is to this town." "What's the tract called? If you don't know exactly where it is, perhaps we can help you locate it." "It's the Lorimer Spell tract," answered Fred innocently. He thought the men were just asking out of idle curiosity. "Oh, I see." The man frowned and looked at his companion. "Do you know anything about that tract?" "Oh, I've heard of it. It's up on the north side of the town. I understand Spell was shot during the war," the man continued, looking at the boys. "He was," answered Andy. "And he left all his property to my Uncle Dick, who once saved his life." "Oh, that's it, is it!" cried one of the men. "Seems to me I heard something about that. Your uncle played the regular hero act." "As I said before, he saved Lorimer Spell's life, and did it at the risk of his own. It was in the midst of one of the fiercest fights." At this moment Jack and Randy came rushing down the stairs and out on the porch of the hotel in great excitement. "We just saw somebody up the street!" exclaimed Jack. "And who do you think it was? Gabe Werner!" CHAPTER XX PLOTTING AGAINST DICK ROVER "Gabe Werner!" "Where is he?" "Up the street," answered Randy. "Come on after him." "Who's the man you are after?" questioned one of the men who had been interviewing Andy and Fred.