scientist, unknown to me or to my partner, Mr. Stoner, came into
our office, which is at your backs, one flight up, second door to
the right, and showed us an electrical device he has been working
on for the last eight years. He claimed he had it perfected and
that it would indicate the presence of oil on the same principle
that one mineral attracts another. 'Oil is a mineral,' said he,
'and I think I've got its magnetic complement. I believe my
invention will work.'

"'I'll bet a thousand dollars it won't,' I told him. But what do
you think that pilgrim did? He took me up. Then he bet Stoner
another thousand that I'd made a bad bet." McWade grinned in
sympathy with the general amusement. "We arranged a thorough test.
We took him, blindfolded, through the field, and, believe me or
not, he called the turn on forty-three wells straight and never
missed it once. Call it a miracle if you choose, but it cost Brick
and me two thousand iron men, and I've got ten thousand more that
says he can do the trick for you. I'll let a committee of
responsible citizens take a dozen five-gallon cans and fill one
with oil and the rest with water and set them in a row behind a
brick wall. My ten, or any part of it, says his electric wiggle
stick will point to the one with the oil. What do you say to that?
Here's a chance for a quick clean-up. Who cares to take me on?"

From the edge of the crowd Gray watched the effect of this offer.
Divining rods, he well knew, were as old as the oil industry, but
he was surprised to see that fully half of this audience appeared
to put faith in the claim, and the other half were not entirely
skeptical. A man at his side began reciting an experience of his
own.