Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-09-04
The Magnificent Gamble
BY T. T. Flynn

of Gas and oil she would carry and
Maid the hangar bill. Jimmy strapped
the major III the front cockpit seat,
strapped himself in the rear, gunned
the motor for a little TO make certain
il was running right. and then took
OF. His Oklahoma and Texas maps
were on a board hanging on the right
side of the cockpit.
Ii was some time after four when
they picked up a state highway and
followed it into Astoria, passing a fair
sized oil field Just before they reached
the town. They did not land. Major
BraWner pointed out to the southwest,
motioning to keep on. Jimmy did.
Fifteen-twenty miles OF that, and
the major pointed a little over to the
left and nodded. Jimmy made out
the dark ske~leton-like shape Of an oil
derrick, its bottom boarded in. And
as the plane droned toward 1t several
other derricks were visible in a radius
of several miles. Wildcatters probing
for oil in untested ground.
They circled once over the derrick,
and looking down Jimmy could see two
workers standing outside, looking up at
them.
There was plenty of level ground
around the derrick. Jimmy picked a
spot a few hundred yards away and
brought the Special down in a nice
landing. The mar who reached them
first was bigger than the major, in his
thirties. With a long. serious face and
overalls stained with mud and water
and oil.
Gosh, I'm glad to see you!' he called
as he came up. Didn't think you
could get here this soon, Major Braw-
ner.'
The second man was even taller than
the first, a great burly giant of a mar
with wide shoulders and long. power
full arms.
The major climbed out of the cockpit
and shook hands with the first mar
as quick as / could" he answered
What's the prospects, Long?"
Jimmy climbed out and stood by the
side Of the plane, listening.
Long wa the first man, the one
the major shook hands with. He
answered hesitatingly, Il don't know
major. It's got me stumped. 1 had
the we'll cemented in, and we drilled
down through into the sand like yor
ordered. We got gas and a good show
ing of oil. But that's about all. ]
stopped drilling this morning and went
in and sent you that telegram. Their
I got a load of nitroglycerin anC
brought it out here. Pete Stevens
who shoots most of the wells in these
parts, had gone east for a visit, anc
it was shoot it ourselves or wait fol
him to come back. His wife let me
have the soup out of his storehouse
I've shot wells before. l can do it my
self. I've just been waiting till yol
came before I did anything"
The major frowned and then looked
around at Jimmy. Son." he called
come here and listen to this"
Jimmy joined them. The major sale
slowly: Long, who is drilling the well
tells me things aren't as bright as hi
telegram led me to believe. l don
know what to do. I meant what I sale
about the five hundred if things turned
out all right. Long is ready to shoot
the well. Will you stay around ane
see what happens? II the shot fails
i don't know what we'll do next
If it come in with any showing therel
be plenty of money. I can go tt
Astoria and get all 1 want from The
bank-although right now they won'
lend me a slick dime. What do you
say?"
Jimmy was smoking. He inhaled ant
trickled smoke through his nostrils
Nothing much to say, is there?" hi
asked. Il went into it with my eyes
open. There's not enough gas in the
tank to take me any place. I'll stay
around and take what comes. FORGE
about me. III make out all right M
matter what happens"
1t didn't take Jimmy many minute;
to move the plane off some distance
| from the well. When he got back tt
the well the driller and his helper
| were busy. Two long thin can wert
lying on the wooden floor of the der.
rick. Jimmy looked curiously at thu
: big bull wheel, the tool forge, the cal
wheel, the knowledge stool, the Ions
, string of heavy drilling jars hanging
I just clear of the mouth of the pipe
T And he eyed the pipe curiously, think.
, ing of the thousands of feet it pene.
a trated down into the earth. Dow
there where the oil and gas were LOCKED
|, in the strata of past ages. Or were
9 they? 1t was a magnificent gamble
8 The major explained the situation tt
+ him as they stood to one side. "We'r,
down to the strata" he said, chewinl
7 on a new unlighted cigar. "Ther,
seems to be Oil there. Gas for sure
s Smell it seeping out OF the top of tn
k pipe?" Jimmy nodded. The majo
: went on. There's some oil, too. Yol
q can see it smeared all over the drill
string there. But there doesn't seen
to be enough pressure to force a floy
: up through half a mile of pipe. They'r
, going to lower nitroglycerin down +
q the bottom of the pipe and explode it.
The nitroglycerin had evidently bee
poured into the long cans from a mum
a Der of smaller ones.
: Jimmy turned back to the pipe
= Charley, the burly helper, had pickle
one of the cans from the floor an
! was grading it in his arms while Lon
was attaching the end of a reel 0
wire to the top. When the wire wa
!. fast and the slack taken out he in
serted the end of the can in the to
pipe like a bullet in the breech of
gun and lowered it slowly out of sigh.
Thereafter the taut wire slipped dow
into the pipe slowly.
Long minutes passed while the VIII
flowed down into the hole steadily. a