Uncle John and his son, who dressed as fashionably now as they did when they came from the States, and who took as much pains with their toilet as a couple of city dandies would have done, were very much pleased with the new order of things. They seemed to have been made for no other purpose than to idle away their time on the luxurious sofas and easy-chairs with which the old rancho was now so plentifully supplied; but George, with his heavy cowhide boots, coarse clothing and sun-browned face and hands, was sadly out of place among them. Uncle John Ackerman lived somewhere in the state of Ohio. He was a poor man, and, up to the time of the death of his only brother, George’s father, was obliged to work hard for his living. That sad event, which brought so much sorrow and trouble to George, was the making of Uncle John, for the time being. It took him and his scapegrace of a son from a life of toil and placed them just where they had always wanted to be—in a position to live without work. Uncle John was made his nephew’s guardian and the executor of his brother’s will, and to him the property was left in trust, to be cared for and managed for George until the latter became of age, when it was to be turned over to him, less a certain sum, which Uncle John was at liberty to keep in payment for his services. If George died before reaching his majority, Ned Ackerman, Uncle John’s son, was to be the heir. As soon as the terms of the will were made known, Uncle John and Ned hastened to Texas, and took up their abode at the rancho. At first, everything passed off smoothly. George could see nothing to admire in either one of his relatives, whom he had met but once before; but still he did not absolutely dislike them, until Ned began to show, both by words and actions, that he considered himself the lawful master of the ranche and everything belonging to it, and that George had no rights that he or his father were bound to respect. One change after another was introduced, in spite of all the rightful owner could say or do to prevent it, until at last the old house was so changed in appearance, both inside and out, that George could hardly recognise it as his home. Then he grew angry and almost made up his mind that he would strike out for himself, and live on the prairie, with his cattle and his herdsman, as a good many of the early settlers had done before him.