
    ,,*APT] ;,X

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  8,,OH1 ,TOM6 ,& S Y >E RE,Y R1DY 6/>T
ON T P]IL\S TRIP60 EXCLAIM$ ,M>Y ,NE/OR1
A LL LAT] T SAME EV5+1 :5 ,TOM CALL$ AT
,M>Y'S H\SE 9 8 SPE$Y ELECTRIC RUNAB1 A
C> 9 : HE _H ONCE MADE A S5S,NAL RIDE4
  8,P]IL\S8 ,I DON'T "K :Y Y CALL X T60
EXCLAIM$ ! "Y 9V5TOR4
  8,DIDN'T Y TELL ME Y 7 /UCK 9 A MUD
BANK AWAY D[N "U ! RIV] & _H H>D "W 6GET
LOOSE80 ASK$ ! "Y LADY1 Z %E MADE A
PLACE = ,TOM ON ! S(A 2S H]4
  8,OH1 T6 ,:Y1 T WASN'T ANY?+60 HE
DCLD4
  8,X WD H BE5 IF Y _HN'T -E UP40
  8,AH1 B WE DID -E UP1 ,M>Y40
  8,SUPPOSE Y GET 9 A SIMIL> POSI;N :5 Y
F9D ! WRECK (! ,P&ORA8 ,Y WON'T GET UP S
EASILY1 W Y80



8,NO4 ,B "! >5'T ANY MUD BANKS 9 T "P (!
,ATLANTIC1 S ,I C'T 2 /UCK 9 "O10 ANSW]$
  ,TOM4

  ,= "S "T ,TOM ,SWIFT & ,M>Y TALK$ (
MUTUAL FRS & HAPP5+S 9 : !Y 7 BO?
9T]E/$4 ,MR4 & ,MRS4 ,NE/OR /EPP$ 96!
ROOM =A M9UTE1 6WI% ! "Y 9V5TOR GD LUCK
ON 8 VOYAGE1 & :5 !Y _H G"O \1 PROMIS+
6SEE ,TOM 2F HE LEFT =! NI<T1 ! LATT]
REM>K$ 6,M>Y3
  8,DID YR UNCLE "E F9D ! OIL-WELL PAP]S
& GET 8 A6AIRS /RAI<T5$ \80
  8,NO10 0 ! ANSW]1 8HE N"E DID4 ,& WE
FEEL V SORRY = HM4 ,J ?9K1 HE _H A =TUNE
9 8 GRASP1 & N[ X IS SLIPP+ AWAY40
  8,J :AT HAPP5$80 ASK$ ,TOM1 HOP+ "!
MI<T 2 "S WAY 9 : HE CD AID ,M>Y'S
UNCLE4 ,( C\RSE1 ,TOM WANT$ 6HELP ,M>Y1
& ? 0 "O (! WAYS4
  8,WELL1 ,I DON'T EXACTLY "U/& X ALL10
%E REPLI$4 8,"F SAYS ,I'LL N"E H A H1D =
BUSI;S4 ,B Z NE>LY Z ,I C TELL1 MY
UNCLE1 ,B>TON ,KEI?1 W5T 96"PN]%IP )A
MAN 6PROSPECT = OIL 9 ,TEXAS4 ,MY UNCLE
HAS BE5 9 T BUSI;S 2F1 & HE 0 V
SU3ESS;L4 ,HE SUPPLI$ ! "W+ K AB OIL
WELLS1 ,I 2LIEVE1 &! O!R MAN PUT UP !
M"OY4 ,MY UNCLE 0 6H A HALF %>E 9 :AT"E
OIL WELLS HE LOCAT$1 & 8 "PN] SUPPLI$ !
CA% = PUTT+ D[N ! PIPE1 OR :AT"E IS
D"O40
  8,I 2LIEVE PUTT+ D[N A PIPE IS ! PROP]
T]M10 SD ,TOM4
  8,WELL1 ANYH[10 W5T ON ,M>Y1 8MY UNCLE
SP5T _M WE>Y MON?S PROSPECT+ 9 ,TEXAS4
,9 FACT1 HE MADE HMF ILL1 2+ \ 9 ALL
SORTS ( W1!R1 LOOK+ AF ! DRILL+4 ,AT LA/
!Y /RUCK OIL1 Z ,I 2LIEVE !Y CALL X4 ,!Y
DRILL$ D[N UNTIL !Y BR"\ 9 :AT MY UNCLE
CALL$ A ,8GU%]10' & "! 0 A *.E ( HM & 8
"PN] GETT+ RI*40
  8,:Y DIDN'T HE80 ASK$ ,TOM4 8,A GU%]1
,I 2LIEVE1 IS "O (! BE/ SORT ( OIL
WELLS4 ,:Y DIDN'T YR UNCLE CL1N UP A
=TUNE1 6USE A SLANG T]M80
  8,2C HE LO/ ! PAP]S %[+ T HE _H A "R
6HALF ! OIL WELL10 ANSW]$ ,M>Y4 8,AT L1/
MY UNCLE ?9KS HE LO/ !M1 B HE 0 S ILL1
DIRECTLY AF ! WELL PROV$ A SU3ESS1 T HE
SAYS HE ISN'T SURE :AT HAPP5$4 ,AT ANY
RATE1 8 "PN] CLAIMS "EY?+ & MY UNCLE C D
NO?+4 ,HE HAS BE5 HOP+ HE MI<T F9D !
PAP]S "S":1 OR T "S?+ WD HAPP5 6PROVE !
"RS ( 8 CLAIM40
  8,& NO?+ HAS80 9QUIR$ ,TOM4
  8,N YET4 ,MY "F & "M H BE5 TRY+ 6HELP
HM1 & DAD 5GAG$ A LAWY]1 B HE SAYS NO?+
C 2 D"O UN.S MY UNCLE RECOV]S ! "PN]%IP
& O!R PAP]S4 ,Z X /&S N[1 X IS MY
UNCLE'S ^W AG/ ! ^W ( 8 "PN]1 & BO? >E
EQU,Y GD 9 A C\RT ( LAW4 ,B IF ,UNCLE
,B>TON CD F9D ! DOCU;TS "EY?+ WD -E \
ALL "R4 ,HE CD CLAIM 8 HALF (! OIL WELL
!N40
  8,IS X / PRODUC+80 ,TOM "Q$4
  8,YES1 BETT] ?AN "E4 ,B T'S ALL ! GD X
DOES MY UNCLE4 ,HE IS ILL1 4C\RAG$1 &
DESPOND5T4 ,ALL 8 =TUNE 0 EAT5 UP 9
PROSPECT+1 & HE DEP5D$ ON ! GU%] 6MAKE
HM RI* AG4 ,& N[1 2C (A RASC,Y "PN]1 HE
MAY 2 DOOM$ 6DIE A POOR MAN4 ,( C\RSE WE
W ALW HELP HM1 B Y "K :AT X IS 6BE
DEP5D5T ON RELATIVES40
  8,I C IMAG9E10 3C$$ ,TOM4 8,X IS T\<
LUCK6 ,I WI% ,I CD HELP1 & P]H ,I C AF
,I GET BACK F ? TRIP40
8,! ONLY WAY Y OR ANY "O CD HELP1 WD 2
6GET BACK MY UNCLE'S MISS+ PAP]S10 SD
,M>Y4 8,& Z HE HMF ISN'T SURE :AT 2CAME
( !M1 X SEEM HOPE.S40
  8,X DOES10 ,TOM AGRE$4 8,B WAIT UNTIL
,I GET BACK40
  8,I WI% Y W]5'T GO+10 SI<$ ,M>Y4
  8,S D ,I--M ?AN A LL10 0 ,TOM'S REM>K4
8,I'M SORRY ,I "E LET ,MR4 ,DAMON
P]SUADE ME 6G 96? D1L ) ,DIXWELL
,H>DLEY60
  ,M>Y SAT BOLT UP"R ON ! C\*4
  8,:AT "N DID Y SAY80 %E CRI$4
  8,DIXWELL ,H>DLEY10 REP1T$ ,TOM4 8,T'S
HE "N (! MAN :O CLAIMS 6"K ": ! WRECK (!
,P&ORA LIES4 ,HE SAYS %E HAS TWO
MILLIONS OR M 9 GOLD ON BO>D1 & ,I'M
6GET HALF40
  8,WELL60 EXCLAIM$ ,M>Y1 ) _S1 8IF Y
DON'T GET ANY BI7] %>E \ (! WRECK ?AN MY
UNCLE GOT \ (! OIL WELL1 Y WON'T 2 DO+ S
V NICELY1 ,TOM40
  8,:AT D Y M1N80 ASK$ ! "Y 9V5TOR4
8,:AT HAS ! OIL WELL 6D ) RECOV]+ GOLD F
! WRECK80
  8,A GD D1L1 ,I %D SAY10 ANSW]$ ! GIRL1
8SEE+ T ! SAME MAN IS MIX$ UP 9 BO?40
  8,:AT SAME MAN80
  8,DIXWELL ,H>DLEY60
  8,IS HE ! MAN :O *1T$ YR UNCLE80 CRI$
,TOM4
  8,I WON'T SAY T HE *1T$ HM10 SD ,M>Y4
8,B ,DIXWELL ,H>DLEY IS ! MAN :O FURNI%$
! M"OY :5 MY UNCLE W5T 96"PN]%IP ) HM
6LOCATE OIL WELLS 9 ,TEXAS4 ,! OIL WELLS
7 LOCAT$1 ,MR4 ,H>DLEY GOT 8 %>E1 & MY
UNCLE GOT NO?+4 ,& J 2C HE C'T PROVE "!
0 A LEGAL "PN]%IP6 ,I HOPE Y WON'T H !
SAME EXP]I;E ) ,MR4 ,H>DLEY1 ,TOM40
  8,:EW60 :I/L$ ! "Y 9V5TOR4 8,? IS NEWS
6ME6 ,I C SAY "O ?+1 ?\<4 ,MR4 ,H>DLEY
DOESN'T TAKE A DOLL> \ ( T WRECK UN.S ,I
GET "O 6MAT* X4 ,I ?9K ,I HOLD ! BE/
C>DS ON ? D1L4 ,B1 ,M>Y1 >E Y SURE X'S !
SAME MAN80
  8,PRETTY SURE4 ,WAIT1 ,I'LL CALL MY "F
& MAKE C]TA910 %E ANSW]$1 & Z %E W5T F !
ROOM 6SUMMON ,MR4 ,NE/OR1 ,TOM FELT A
VAGUE S5SE ( UNEASI;S4
























