r served, however, to draw Bob's name and activities
into the sphere of his notice.

Among the mountain people Bob was at first held in a distrust that
sometimes became open hostility. He received threats and warnings
innumerable. The Childs boys sent word to him, and spread that word
abroad, that if this government inspector valued his life he would do
well to keep off Iron Mountain. Bob promptly saddled his horse, rode
boldly to the Childs' shake camp, took lunch with them, and rode back,
speaking no word either of business or of threats. Having occasion to
take a meal with some poor, squalid descendants of hog-raising Pike
County Missourians, he detected a queer bitterness to his coffee,
managed unseen to empty the cup into his canteen, and later found, as he
had suspected, that an attempt had been made to poison him. He rode back
at once to the cabin. Instead of taxing the woman with the deed--for he
shrewdly suspected the man knew nothing of it--he reproached her with
condemning him unheard.

"I'm the best friend you people have," said he. "It isn't my fault that
you are in trouble with the regulations. The Government must straighten
these matters out. Don't think for a minute that the work will stop just
because somebody gets away with me. They'll send somebody else. And the
chances are, in that case, they'll send somebody who is instructed to
stick close to the letter of the law: and who will turn you out mighty
sudden. I'm trying to do the best I can for you people."

This family ended by giving him its full confidence in the matter. Bob
was able to save the place for them.

Gradually his refusal to take offence, his refusal to debate any matter
save on the impersonal grounds of the Government servant acting solely
for his masters, coupled with his willingness to take things into
consideration, and his desire to be absolutely fair, won for Bob a
reluctant confidence. At the north end men's minds were as yet too
inflamed. It is a curious matter of flock psychology that if the public
mind ever occupies itself fully with an idea, it thereby becomes for the
time being blind, impervious, to all others. But in other parts of the
mountains Bob was not wholly unwelcome; and in one or two cases--which
pleased him mightily--men came in to him voluntarily for the purpose of
asking his advice.

In the meantime the Samuels case had come rapidly to a crisis. The
resounding agitation had resulted in the sending of inspect