o the success of the undertaking.

He appeared to be interested mainly in hunting up cattle, and after he
had introduced the engineers and secured the tardy consent of the
landowners for them to make a survey, he would spend hours haggling over
a few head of mountain cattle, or riding around through the mountains
looking for others.

Many a farmer who met the first advances of the stranger with stony
opposition yielded amicably enough after old Rawson had spent an hour or
two looking at his "cattle," or had conversed with him and his
weather-beaten wife about the "craps" and the "child'en."

"You are a miracle!" declared young Rhodes, with sincere admiration.
"How do you manage it?"

The old countryman accepted the compliment with becoming modesty.

"Oh, no; ain't no miracle about it. All I know I learned at the Ridge
College, and from an old uncle of mine, and in the war. He used to say,
'Adam, don't be a fool; learn the difference between cattle.' Now,
before you come, I didn't know nothin' about all them fureign
countries--they was sort of vague, like the New Jerusalem--or about
coal. You've told me all about that. I had an idea that it was all made
jest so,--jest as we find it,--as the Bible says 'twas; but you know a
lot--more than Moses knowed, and he was 'skilled in all the learnin' of
the Egyptians.' You haven't taken to cattle quite as kindly as I'd 'a'
liked, but you know a lot about coal. Learn the difference between
cattle, my son. There's a sight o' difference between 'em."

Rhodes declared that he would remember his advice, and the two parted
with mutual esteem.

CHAPTER IV

TWO YOUNG MEN

The young engineer, on his return to New York, made a report to his
employer. He said that the mineral resources were simply enormous, and
were lying in sight for any one to pick up who knew how to deal with the
people to whom they belonged. They could be had almost for the asking.
But he added this statement: that the legislative charters would hardly
hold, and even if they did, it would take an army to maintain what they
gave against the will of the people. He advised securing the services of
Squire Rawson and a few other local magnates.

Mr. Wickersham frowned at this plain speaking, and dashed his pen
through this part of the report. "I am much obliged to you for the
report on the minerals. The rest of it is trash. You were not paid for
your advice on that. When I want law I go to a lawyer."

Mr. Rh