Jordan Terry has oil discovered on his land. The company decides to install a pump. The sound of the pump brings Jordan great joy, and with his newfound wealth, he decides to give his destitute neighbor, Clarence Bywaters, his old car. However, Clarence Bywaters also discovers oil on his land and the company installs another pump but this time with a longer pipe. Eventually, Jordan Terry learns that he and Clarence Bywaters are drawing from the same subterranean oil pool. This realization drives Jordan Terry mad as he keeps thinking about how Clarence Bywaters is possibly getting more oil than he is. One night Jordan Terry panics because he believes that his own pump has stopped working; however, this was a false alarm. Jordan’s envy grows as he sees Clarence and his family with more nice things while he is agonizing over his own family’s bills. Jordan dreams of a time he had the chance to buy out Clarence’s land, but he had passed on the opportunity. Jordan wishes that his neighbor’s pump would break down so that he may get ahead. Eventually, Jordan’s pump breaks down without him realizing until the next morning. Jordan gets a repair crew from the company to fix his pump, but as they are working on it, Jordan dies. At his funeral, Clarence Bywaters laments the fact that Jordan Terry did not live to enjoy his wealth for very long.