The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-03-06


straighten, out several bust
ness complications. Besides his north
ern interests, he was connected with
many new enterprises in the southwest,
mines In Arizona, cattle and cattle
lands in the Lone Star State and
projected railroads through the cotton
belt For time his vast schemes had
prospered until his ideas as to their
conduct began to clash with those Of
old Bill Williams, the great Texan
land speculatOr and cattle king, with
whom Renwyck had for many years
joined forces, the one controlling the
east, the other the west. Correspond
ence had proved unsatisfactory; there
fore the New Yorker determined to set
tie the business personally by flying
trip to San Antonio, Tex, where he
intended to beard the lion in his den.
Miss Harriet Renwyck, the only
daughter Of the capitalist, had induced
her father to take her with him on the
trip. She was a beautiful and high
spirited girl of twenty years, the idol
of the old mans heart, and the one
person ON earth who could manage him
even when his arrogant temper reached
the outbreaking point. On their ar
rival at San Antonio they learned that
Mr.. Williams had departed the week
before for his cattle ranch, which lay
about 200 miles to the westward. He
was not expected to return for some
time, so Mr.. Renwyck determined to
follow him without delay.
The two travellers took branch road
which carried them to point twenty
miles distant from the ranch, and here
they engaged horses, a camping outfit
and q guide for the balance of the
trip. Both were used to the saddle,
and to Miss Renwyck this long free
gallop across the plains was new and
exhilarating experience. 1t was spring
time, when the prairies are at their
best, rolling away like some vast green
sea as far as the eye can reach. The
sun, which in another month would
parch the grass to q dry and crackly
Btubble, now sent out a lazy. comfort
able warmth which was further tenn
pered by an intermittent breeze.
They passed great herds Of browsing
cattle that munched the grass or lifted
their heads in bovine languor as the
riders cantered on. Once they thread
ed their way through the very center
of a "bunch," and the girl, with a wo-
mans Unborn dread Of cows, grew
alarmed at the proximity OF the sur
rounding longhorns. but the guide
assured her that there was not the
least danger "unlest she nrojicked with
the mavericks" This, being inter-
preted, was a warning against modest
ing the young calves, sport which
was not to Miss Renwycks taste for
various reasons, and she soon lost all
fear of the sad eyed brutes before her.
Toward sunset they came in sight OF
Bill williams ranch, and, having skirt
ed a wire fence for several miles, they
entered at last and dismounted before
the mud matched palace of the Texan
cattle king, where the Jovial despot
himself came out to welcome them.
The two financiers, each approaching
DR.. Osler's line Of uselessness, formed
a complete antithesis. The New York
er was a typical financial potentate,
educated, cultivated, cold, deliberate In
speech, calm in demeanor, composed In
method, faultless in every detail of
bis dress. His features were promi-
nent and severe, the ruddy hue of his
face relieved by a gray mustache and
side whiskers. In every step and
movement he showed the unmistaka-
bile hallmarks of birth, breeding and
prosperity. Yet there was not bold
err, more daring operator on the ex-
change than Renwyck. Old Bill Will
Hams was a man of giant stature, In
different as to dress, careless as to
language. His education had been
gained in the saddle and smacked OF
the leather. He read few books, but
he knew cattle and men. and there
was not a better judge of land values
and the merits or dement's of scheme
in the west. His shrewd and kindly
face was clean shaver, round and JOY
full. lit by pair of steel gray eyes
hat twinkled continually in harmony
with the genial smile which sometimes