And everything was serene till the papers broke out into headlines about a big strike made in the Bradshaw Mountains of Arizona by three partners, of whom one was named Steptoe.  They seemed to have found all the valuable minerals in that claim of theirs except platinum.  Ben tried first to believe it was someone else named Steptoe; but no such luck.  We read that a half interest in the property had been sold to an Eastern syndicate for three million dollars and a company organized of which Edward J. Steptoe was president.

“It may be all for the best, anyway,” Ben says to me.  “Now that he’s a big mining man he’ll probably have other aims in life than being a thug.”

You could see he was hoping to make a separate peace with the new millionaire, who would forget the grudge of his old days when he had to work for what he got, or at least run the risk of getting shot for it.  But I wasn’t so sure.  I reminded Ben that Ed had never yet done anything you’d think a human being would do, so why expect him to begin now, when he had abundant leisure?  I advised him to give deep thought to the matter of his defense, and if the battle went against him to withdraw to a position previously prepared, like the war reports say.  Ben said a few warm things about Ed, by doggie, that no cousin ought to say of another cousin, and went off, hoping against hope.

And, sure enough, Ed came promptly to the front.  It seems he waited only long enough to get a new suit and an assorted lot of the snappiest diamond jewellery he could find.  Then he wired me he was coming to right the wrongs of a lifetime.  Reaching San Francisco, it occurred to him that he could put it all over Ben in another way that would cut him to the heart; so he there chartered the largest, goldest, and most expensive private car on the market, having boudoirs and shower baths and conservatories and ballrooms, and so on; something that would make Ben’s dinky little private car look like a nester’s shack or a place for a construction gang to bunk in.  And in this rolling palace Ed invaded our peaceful country, getting lots of notice.  The papers said this new mining millionaire was looking us over with an eye to investment in our rich lands.  Little they knew he merely meant to pull off a brutal fist altercation with a prominent railroad official that was somewhat out of condition.

Ben was one worried man, especially after he heard of Ed’s private car.  It was one thing to lick an exbrakeman, but entirely different to have an affray with a prominent capitalist that come after you regardless of expense.  Furthermore, this was the time for the annual tour of inspection by the officers of the road, and they was now on the way to Ben’s division, with him hoping to create a fine impression by showing his miracles of management.  And here was Ed, meaning to start something scandalous at sight!  No wonder Ben lost his nerve and tried to run out on his antagonist.  He was trying to put it off at least till after his officials had come and gone.