After a few weeks somebody got to wondering why that spot never dried out, and, come to investigate, wha' d'you think ?" "I seldom think when I am being entertained," his passenger declared.
"Well, that poor stupid had dammed the creek, and every night he shut the gate and flooded his road." If the clustered derricks of the town-site pool were impressive, there was something positively dramatic about the Extension.

Burkburnett had been laid out in lots and blocks, and the drilling had followed some sort of orderly system; but here were no streets, no visible plan.

This had been a wheat field, and as well after well had come in, derricks, drilling rigs, buildings, tanks, piles of timber, and casing had been laid down with complete disregard of all save the owner's convenience.
Overnight new pipe lines were being laid, for hours counted here and the crude had to find outlet--fuel had to be brought in.

These pipe lines were never buried, and in consequence the ceaseless flow of traffic was forever forced to seek new channels.

The place became a bewildering maze through which teams floundered and motor vehicles plunged at random.
Towns had sprung up, for this army of workers was isolated in a sea of mud, but whereas "Burk" was more or less permanent, Newtown, Bradley's Corners, Bridgetown, were cities of canvas, boards, and corrugated iron.