The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-06-18

Gray drove directly TO tho lease
he had come 60 examine. and was
disappointed 10 learn that tho owner
had just LEFT This was annoying;
Bob had assured him that he was
expected Inquiry elected from the
surly individual In charge no more
than tho reluctant admission that
Jackson had been called 10 tho near
est telephone, but would he back
sometime.
There was nothing TO so but walt
Gray let his car 80, then made
oursory examination OF tho property.
He could see little and learn less.
The care,aker agreed that the well
was pumping $50 barrels day.
Some cyaslycness In this fellows
dcmeanor awoke Gray'a suspicion.
A sudden telephone call. Tho own.
er's absence when he expected a
purchaser. Probably somebody else
was after tho property II was de-
eidedly worth whiio 20 walt
Gray was unaccustomod 20 mat
tention. inelvllity. and had anybody
except Bob" Parker put him In this
| position he would have resented a.
Under tho circumstance. however
no could do nothing except cool his
heels. As time passed he began
10 feel foolish; by late lunch time he
was irritable. and as the afternoon
wore ON he grew angry, Why didn't
Bob como as she had promiscd7
He had lost a day. and days were
precious.
Evening found him wandering
about aimlessly. In vIllainous
mood but stubbornly determined TO
see this thing thru at whatever cost.
Ho had no wish TO spend "A night
amid these surroundings. for respect.
able people summed these oil.field
camps after dark. aud he knew
himself 10 be conspicuous II would
add ridiculous climax 70 trying
day TO DO high. lacked be
frisked OF his Jewclry,
During the early dusk no returned
20 the lease. only 20 find even the
greasy caretakcr gone. BY this time
Gray was decidedly uncomfortable.
and. 20 add TO his discomfort. no
conceived tho notion that he was
being foll(wcd. on second thought
he dismissed this idea. nevertheless
he took n roundabout course back
toward the main street.
IL seemed odd 20 bo floundcrlng
thru inky shadows feeling a way
1 thru this miry chaos. when aloft.
as far as the eye could see. tho sky
was lit. This phantom city OF
twinkiing hcacons gave one a sense
OF acute unrcaiity. for IL was an
empty city. city the work Of
which went on almost without the
MD OF human hands The very
soul OF Il was mechanical. Only
here and there. where drill crew
was az work. did an occasional hu.
man figure move back and worth in
tho glare Of low.hung incandcs.
cents, nevertheless the whole place
oreathed and throbbed: Il was In.
stinci with n tremendous vigur.
From oil sides came tho ccaaeleHs
/ rhythmic clanls OF pumps, tho hiss
OF gns and steam tho Eurgllng Flow
OF llquid-they wcrn the pulse beats,
the rssplratlons. tho blood flow OF
this live thing. And It's body o,ior
stunE the nostrfis. All night long
Il painted with It's heavy Iabors-
as II the jinns that lifted those
giant pump beams were vying with
one another In a desperate cndeayor.
They were. for a fact. Haste. avar.
Ice. an arduous diligence. was in
the very air.
Gray stared and marveicd. for
imagination was not lacking in him.
Those derricks with their fires were
high affairs upon which were heaped
10000 hopes and prayers. Affairs
Of Avarico! Towers OF Creed That
IS what they were.
Hc narvelcd. too. nj tho extremes
these last few days had brought
him: at tho long cry from tho lux.
urious Burlington Notch to this
primitive land OF fro workshipera.
! Here. only a few hours by motor
from paved streets and comfortable
homes. was section OF the real
frontier. as crude and as lawless as
any no had ever seen. Yonder. for
Instance, was the Red Lion. reg.
ular Klondike dance hail.
! He looked in for n moment. but
the sight Of rd-faced houris re.