Spring has sprung. It's been 6 months since the adventures in Greenland, and the time has now come to get down to the business of making money. Swift Construction has undertaken a contract, at the behest of Mr. Damon, to make oil well drilling equipment for a group of Texas wildcatters. In short order, it is found that these fellows are "shady characters." They have to be watched constantly by Ned Newton, the Swift CFO, to keep them from pulling various financial shenanigans. There's also a matter of a "cad" snuffling around Tom's sweetie, Mary Nestor. That he is one of the Terrible Texas Trio, is added fuel to the fire.

While money matters occupy Ned, Tom comes up with a new style rotary well drilling rig that cuts through rock 3 times faster than the existing machinery can. They go to Texas to try the new device, and find out that "roughnecks" didn't get that nickname by being "nice." The dangers of tenderfeet drilling a well are the least of their worries once the crude starts flying.