d any man who might ever be required to go a mile afoot, would
think of wearing. The little herds trudged down the mountains. While the
plainsmen anticipated easy duty, the pleasures of the town, fenced
cattle growing fat on alfalfa raised during the summer by irrigation,
these sober-faced mountaineers looked forward to a winter range much
depleted, a market closed against such wiry, active animals as they
herded, and an impossibility of rounding into shape for sale any but a
few old cows.

"If it wasn't for this new shake-up," said Jim Pollock, "I'd shore be
gettin' discouraged. But if they keep out Simeon Wright's cattle this
spring, we'll be all right. It's cost us money, though."

"A man with a wife and child can't afford to lose money," said George
Pollock.

Jim laughed.

"You and your new kid!" he mocked. "No, I suppose he can't. Neither can
a man with a wife and six children. But I reckon we'll be all right as
long as there's a place to crawl under when it rains."

XVII

The autumn passed, and winter closed down. Plant continued his
administration. For a month the countryside was on a tip-toe of
expectation. It counted on no immediate results, but the "suspension
pending investigation" was to take place within a few weeks. As far as
surface indications were concerned nothing happened. Expectation was
turned back on itself. Absolute confidence in Plant's removal and
criminal conviction gave place to scepticism and doubt, finally to utter
disbelief. And since Thorne had succeeded in arousing a real faith and
enthusiasm, the reaction was by so much the stronger. Tolerance gave way
to antagonism; distrust to bitterness; grievance to open hostility. The
Forest Reserves were cursed as a vicious institution created for the
benefit of the rich man, depriving the poor man of his rights and
privileges, imposing on him regulations that were at once galling and
senseless.

The Forest Rangers suddenly found themselves openly unpopular.
Heretofore a ranger had been tolerated by the mountaineers as either a
good-for-nothing saloon loafer enjoying the fats of political
perquisite; or as a species of inunderstandable fanatic to be looked
down upon with good-humoured contempt. Now a ranger became a partisan of
the opposing forces, and as such an enemy. Men ceased speaking to him,
or greeted him with the curtest of nods. Plant's men were ostracized in
every way, once they showed themselves obstinate in holding to t