In those days the cattlemen were the anointed. Theywere the grandees of the grass， kings of the kine， lordsof the lea， barons of beef and bone. They might haveridden in golden chariots had their tastes so inclined. Thecattleman was caught in a stampede of dollars. It seemedto him that he had more money than was decent. Butwhen he had bought a watch with precious stones set inthe case so large that they hurt his ribs， and a Californiasaddle with silver nails and Angora skin suaderos， andordered everybody up to the bar for whisky—what elsewas there for him to spend money for？
Not so circumscribed in expedient for the reductionof surplus wealth were those lairds of the lariat who hadwomenfolk to their name. In the breast of the rib-sprungsex the genius of purse lightening may slumber throughyears of inopportunity， but never， my brothers， does itbecome extinct.
So， out of the chaparral came Long Bill Longley fromthe Bar Circle Branch on the Frio—a wife-driven man—totaste the urban joys of success. Something like half amillion dollars he had， with an income steadily increasing.
Long Bill was a graduate of the camp and trail. Luck andthrift， a cool head， and a telescopic eye for mavericks hadraised him from cowboy to be a cowman. Then came theboom in cattle， and Fortune， stepping gingerly among thecactus thorns， came and emptied her cornucopia at thedoorstep of the ranch.
In the little frontier city of Chaparosa， Longley built acostly residence. Here he became a captive， bound to thechariot of social existence. He was doomed to become aleading citizen. He struggled for a time like a mustang inhis first corral， and then he hung up his quirt and spurs.
Time hung heavily on his hands. He organised the FirstNational Bank of Chaparosa， and was elected its president.
One day a dyspeptic man， wearing double-magnifyingglasses， inserted an official-looking card between the barsof the cashier’s window of the First National Bank. Fiveminutes later the bank force was dancing at the beck andcall of a national bank examiner.
This examiner， Mr. J. Edgar Todd， proved to be athorough one.
At the end of it all the examiner put on his hat， and calledthe president， Mr. William R. Longley， into the private office.
“Well， how do you find things？” asked Longley， in hisslow， deep tones. “Any brands in the round-up you didn’tlike the looks of？”
“The bank checks up all right， Mr. Longley，” said Todd；“and I find your loans in very good shape—with oneexception. You are carrying one very bad bit of paper—onethat is so bad that I have been thinking that you surely donot realise the serious position it places you in. I refer toa call loan of 10，000 made to Thomas Merwin. Not onlyis the amount in excess of the maximum sum the bankcan loan any individual legally， but it is absolutely withoutendorsement or security. Thus you have doubly violatedthe national banking laws， and have laid yourself open tocriminal prosecution by the Government. A report of thematter to the Comptroller of the Currency—which I ambound to make—would， I am sure， result in the matterbeing turned over to the Department of Justice for action.You see what a serious thing it is.”
Bill Longley was leaning his lengthy， slowly moving frameback in his swivel chair. His hands were clasped behindhis head， and he turned a little to look the examiner inthe face. The examiner was surprised to see a smile creepabout the rugged mouth of the banker， and a kindlytwinkle in his light-blue eyes. If he saw the seriousness ofthe affair， it did not show in his countenance.
“Of course， you don’t know Tom Merwin，” said Longley，almost genially. “Yes， I know about that loan. It hasn’t anysecurity except Tom Merwin’s word. Somehow， I’ve alwaysfound that when a man’s word is good it’s the best securitythere is. Oh， yes， I know the Government doesn’t thinkso. I guess I’ll see Tom about that note.”
Mr. Todd’s dyspepsia seemed to grow suddenly worse.
He looked at the chaparral banker through his doublemagnifyingglasses in amazement.
“You see，” said Longley， easily explaining the thing away，“Tom heard of 2000 head of two-year-olds down nearRocky Ford on the Rio Grande that could be had for 8a head. I reckon ’twas one of old Leandro Garcia’s outfitsthat he had smuggled over， and he wanted to make a quickturn on ’em. Those cattle are worth 15 on the hoof inKansas City. Tom knew it and I knew it. He had 6，000，and I let him have the 10，000 to make the deal with.
His brother Ed took ’em on to market three weeks ago.
He ought to be back ’most any day now with the money.
When he comes Tom’ll pay that note.”
The bank examiner was shocked. It was， perhaps， hisduty to step out to the telegraph office and wire thesituation to the Comptroller. But he did not. He talkedpointedly and effectively to Longley for three minutes. Hesucceeded in making the banker understand that he stoodupon the border of a catastrophe. And then he offered atiny loophole of escape.
“I am going to Hilldale’s to-night，” he told Longley， “toexamine a bank there. I will pass through Chaparosa onmy way back. At twelve o’clock to-morrow I shall call atthis bank. If this loan has been cleared out of the way bythat time it will not be mentioned in my report. If not—Iwill have to do my duty.”
With that the examiner bowed and departed.