rode away
to the north, and Jennings hitched up his team and drove away to the
south. Milton and Bradley went back to their corn-husking, feeling that
they were "small petaters."

"They don't intend to let us into it, that's dead sure," said Milton.
"All the same, I know the scheme. They're going to bolt the convention,
and there'll be fun in the air."

The county woke up the next morning to find its schoolhouse doors
proclaiming a revolt of the farmers, and the new deal was the talk of
the county. It was the grange that had made this revolt possible. This
general intelligence and self-cognizance was the direct result of the
work of the grange. It had brought the farmers together, and had made
them acquainted with their own men, their own leaders, and when they
came together a few days later, under the open sky, like the Saxon
thanes of old, there was a spirit of rebellion in the air that made
every man look his neighbor in the face with exultation.

It was a perfectly Democratic meeting. They came together that
beautiful September day, under the great oaks, a witenagemote of
serious, liberty-loving men, ready to follow wherever their leaders
pointed.

Amos Ridings was the chairman, tall, grim-lipped and earnest-eyed. His
curt speech carried the convention with him. His platform was a wagon
box, and he stood there with his hat off, the sun falling upon his
shock of close-clipped stiff hair, making a powerful and resolute
figure with a touch of poetry in his face.

"Fellow-citizens, we've come together here to-day to organize to oust
the ring that has held our county affairs in their hands so long. We
can oust them if we'll stand together. If we don't, we can't. I believe
we will stand together. The grange has learned us something. It's made
us better acquainted with each other. An' the time has come f'r a
fight. The first thing is a permanent chairman. Who'll y' have for
chairman?"

"I nominate Amos Ridings."

"Second the motion," cried two voices in quick succession.

The chairman's grim visage did not relax. He had no time for false
delicacy. "Are y' ready f'r the question?"

"Yes, yes," shouted the crowd.

"All in favor, say 'Aye'."

There was a vast shout of approval.

"Contrary minds, 'No!' It's a vote."

The other officers were elected in the same way. They were there for
business. They passed immediately to the nominations, and there was the
same unanimity all down the ticket until the nominatio