at, until death interferes or his object is attained. Such men as
he in other days subjugated kingdoms or made deserts where they
operated; in religion they became St. Pauls or Savonarolas.

It may occur to my readers that in depicting Henry H. Rogers I use more
whitewash than tar, and that if he is half as determined and relentless
as my characterization of him, he will surely exact a terrible reprisal
for what I have written here. In describing the man I adhere to the
facts, and before I began this crusade I weighed well the consequences.
From the implacable wrath of Henry H. Rogers and his associates, from a
thirst for vengeance which grows more bitter as it is deferred, nothing
can save me, nothing but--myself.

And now events flew. Mr. Rogers took the forenoon to notify Governor
Flower, President Frederic P. Olcott, of the Central Trust Company;
Marcus Daly, and J. P. Morgan, that they, in connection with William
Rockefeller, himself, his counsel, and James Stillman, were to
constitute the directors of the new company.

"There, Lawson," he said, when he returned to 26 Broadway, "that job is
done, and I am glad it's off my hands. It was all pleasant enough but
the Morgan part. I wish it were possible for us to get along without
having his assistance, but it isn't. Leaving him out would create
comment, from which it would be only a short step to Wall Street's
nosing around and manufacturing something uncomfortable, even if they
didn't discover it. I don't like Morgan a bit, and he likes us less. It
won't be long before one or the other of us will be able to do business
without knowing what the other's about, much less consulting him--not
very long."

As the "not very long" shot out from between his lips much as the
tail-end of an up-chimney wind switches itself around the angle of the
fireplace, I felt there was little doubt in his mind who would be left
to do business after the final drag-out and clean-up. At the same time
it did not dissipate a sort of come-and-go confidence I had that the old
terrapin around whom so many of Wall Street's eddies have swirled would
cause the 26-Broadway crowd many a broken knife-blade before crawling or
being pushed into his shell. Turtles are not much good as sprinters,
but they're blue-ribbon winners when it comes to the staying class.

"You didn't meet with any set-back with Morgan, did you?" I asked.

"Oh, no," Mr. Rogers replied; "he simply said it would be best,
everythi