a sigh. "If he only weren't so sickeningly
obstinate! It's an abominably unpleasant situation."

I could understand how the speaker shrank from the task in front of him.
For years he and the others had rendered their leader unquestioning
obedience, and the Colonel hitherto had ruled the settlement more or less
in accordance with their wishes, though I fancy that this was due to the
fact that their views had generally coincided and not to any willingness
to defer to them. It was, perhaps, not unnatural that most of them should
look coldly on innovations and hold by traditions, for Englishmen are
proverbially averse to change. Still, they could recognize when a change
was absolutely necessary, and setting aside their predilections and
prejudices insist on it. I, however, had less of the latter, since my
status was not theirs, and it seemed to me that the man who would be most
hurt was Colonel Carrington.

There was no doubt that he had the gift of command. Some men are
unmistakably endued with it, and as a rule everybody defers to them even
when they do not use it wisely. They come to regard it as their right, and
by presuming on the good-nature or supineness of those with whom they come
into contact, until at length the exception to the rule appears. Then
being boldly faced they prove to be very much like other men. The air of
authority disappears, and everybody wonders why he allowed himself to be
overawed so long.

Still, I sympathized with Lyle who rode slackly, as it were, gazing
straight in front of him with thoughtful eyes. There was no doubt that
what he meant to do was repugnant to him, especially as the Colonel was a
distant kinsman of his. He was a quiet, honest, good-humored Englishman,
but men of that kind now and then prove very grim adversaries when they
are pushed too hard, and they stand for what they consider the interest of
their fellows. Nothing further was said until we reached the spot where
the trail to Fairmead branched off, and then Lyle turned to me.

"I'll expect you at the Manor on Thursday," he said.

Then they rode on to Carrington, and I turned off toward Fairmead.

CHAPTER XXXI

THE DEPOSED RULER

The day of the meeting was never forgotten at Carrington, and distorted
rumors of what had happened there traveled far across the prairie. One
Mennonite settler compared it to the downfall of King Herod, but among
Carrington's own people there were none who referred to the events o