- Daws Anthony, a boy of 16, is cared for by three old men: Judge Morgan, Roger Appleby, and Caleb Talbot. One day, Northerner Ray Preston comes to their Southern town and proceeds to buy some of the judge's property. He also succeeds in breaking up the romance of village belle Carolyn Dillon and Wallace Turner. When traces of oil are discovered on the purchased property, Preston, at the suggestion of Major Dillon, consents to sell a half-interest in the land to the townsfolk for a large sum of money. Daws is suspicious, however, and undertakes an investigation, only to discover that Preston has oiled the land to swindle the town. Threatened with tarring and feathering, Preston returns the money and leaves town, thus removing all obstacles in the path of Carolyn and Turner's romance.
- Talbot, the cobbler, and Judge Morgan are old cronies, in a Kentucky village, who assemble at the cobbler's shop for daily discussions of various topics. When the story begins Daws Anthony, whose father has just died, is being sold out of house and home far up in the Cumberland Mountains. Daws, at sixteen, takes his few books, his gun and his small belongings, and starts on foot to climb down to the valley below, bent upon gaining an education. Carolyn Dillon, the village belle, is engaged to marry Wallace Turner, cashier of the local bank. They are motoring in the country when Turner's "flivver" loses a tire, just as it whizzes past Daws Anthony. The boy has never set eyes upon an automobile and his wonderment is something approaching awe. Turner notices the foot-sore lad and invites him to ride into the village in the "carriage that broke away from the hosses." Carolyn takes the hungry lad to her home, feeds him, gives him shoes and stockings and Turner loans him a silver dollar for his start in life. The next day, Daws encounters Appleby, the printer, to whom he explains his desire to work and secure an education. Appleby takes the boy to the cobbler's shop where the three old cronies declare their mission in life shall be to see that Daws gets an education. Appleby makes him a "printer's devil" in his newspaper office, and Daws attends the village school. About this time Ray Preston, an adventure arrives for the purpose of putting a little life in the old place through the inspiration of a real estate boom. From Judge Morgan he buys a large tract of swamp land, announcing his purpose to drain the property and convert it into town lots. When the surveyors find traces of crude oil, there is great excitement. Samples sent to Frankfort for testing are returned with the statement that oil in high proportions is indicated. Preston has ingratiated himself with the townsfolk, through making many real estate purchases, and by his smooth manner has attracted Carolyn Dillon's attention. When Wallace Turner objects to Preston's devotion to Carolyn, the girl resents the interference and breaks off the engagement. Daws Anthony, who is now Preston's office boy, has his own suspicions. Taking Judge Morgan's man-servant with him, Daws searches the swamp and discovers charred pieces of barrel staves, iron hoops and. other indications that the "oil" in the swamp has been "planted." This discovery is made the day Preston has consented to sell the villagers a half interest in the "oil land." Judge Morgan is made custodian of the funds, and the villagers heap their savings into the pool. Daws Anthony becomes the hero of the hour when he exposes Preston's scheme. Judge Morgan demands that Preston return the money with which he is about to decamp from town, and when the Judge from the windows shows Preston a "tar and feather" party, that is being formed for the benefit of the real estate operator, Preston consents. The happy ending is quickly attained when Wallace Turner and Carolyn Dillon find themselves once more at an understanding.
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