Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-06-24

distance from where he had started.
He was in agony lest Maria had been
watched and captured entering the
TRUSTING place. But. seeing her OH her
pony riding about as though nothing
disturbed her. he took courage
Manuel went back to work and. aft
er being cross examined as to where
he had been. took his punishment, and.
though it was more severe than usual,
he bore it without finching, sustained,
as he was, by his secret.
Fortunately for the lovers, their love
was not known, and they could COM
municate, though, of course, always at
a great risk. Manuel contrived to let
Maria know that they must not try to
meet again for soma time. Meanwhile
he determined not 10 go to the tryst-
ing place again in the day. But one
night when all were asleep, armed
with Il spade. a lantern and some
matches, he stole out of the peon
quarters to revisit his find. Had he
not gone there often he would not have
been able to find the entrance, for he
dared not light his lantern until we'll
screened by the thicket.
On reaching the trysting place he
struck q match and. having found the
hole he had dug With his knife, began
to throw out the earth With his spade.
He had gone down but a few feet
when there stood on the bottom of the
hole he had dug several inches of q
fluid. Lighting his lantern, he saw that
the oil was slowly rising. Dipping a
dry twig into it, he held it over the
fame i'll the lantern, and it burned
brightly.
This was enough. He retilled the
hole and smoothed the ground above
it, then went back to his quarters.
The ncX day Manuel went to Con
tales and offered him the $50 he had
borrowed, With interest. The hacen-
dado accepted it, and Manuel Went
forth 4 free man. Before leaving the
hacienda he made an appointment 70
meet Maria clandestinely. and when
they came together he told her that
there was 4 fortune at their TRUSTING
place. The location was wild land out
side Gonzales hacienda. Neverth"-
less Manuel had but $40, and this was
too little to tempt the owner to sell any
of his property. Maria was accorded
liberal pin money by her father and
could produce 500. But she owned a
jewel which would bring Il hundred
more. In all the two raised $500.
Then Manuel found the owner OF the
land, and, representing that he wished
to erect a sawmill beside the stream,
which could be used for power, he sue
ceeded in buying twenty acres of
ground at $40 an acre.
AS soon rs the deed had passed to
him Manuel threw up his hat joyfully.
He had 500 left with which to de-
velop his Oil well. lie dug with his
spade a sluiceway by which he turn
ed q part of the stream into a new
channel that ran within 4 few yards
of his well. Then he made q mill
wheel and bought a pump With gear
ing. Lastly. he dug his oil well to a
depth of ten feet, at the bottom of
which stood several feet of oil.
When Manuel set his machinery to
work to pump out the oil he vas anX
ious as to the flow continuing. He
pumped for some time, looking into the
we'll and was delighted to see that the
flow continued as fast as he pumped.
Then he knelt and thanked his patron
saint for the blessing that had been
bestowed upon him.
Manuel said nothing to any one about
his Oil property. He bought a few
empty barrels and filled them with oil.
With his Ak he cleared Il way so that
4 team could haul them away and with
the money he got for the oil bought
more barrels and very soon had money
enough to build Il shed over his ma
chinery.
One day Gonzales, who was ridin"
over his hacienda, saw q well dressed
man, also mounted, coming toward
him. When the stranger neared him
Gonzales recognized his former neon.
Manuel Perez.
What are YOU doing here, and il
those clothes:" asked the hacenGado.
Il came to ask the hand of youl
daughter"
My daughter"
Yes. senor. l have good blood ii
my veins, and | an rich"
; "Rich? IN what does your fortun,
:; consist-assurance:"
IF you will come with me ! will
show it TO YOU"
q Moved by curiosity, Gonzales rode
!; With his former slave to the oil wei!
@ When he saw the crude machiner.
IS and, Manuel having turned on tn
V power, a barrel of oil filled in Il fey
4, minutes. he was astonished. lie di'
o not give Manuel his daughter, but II
1t prospected for Oil not only OF his In
1t cienda. but on contiguous property.
i. No other outlet for the petroleum
ID was found, and the failure greatly Ell
q HANGED the value Of Manuel Perez
j. property. Americans, Englishmen, ev
w erybody. came to see the well. an
D. large sums were offered the owner 10
f. . 49, -