“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 inspectors to investigate the charges against the local officials.  The first of these inspectors, a rather precise and formal youth fresh from Eastern training, was easily handled by the versatile Erbe.  His report, voluminous as a tariff speech, and couched in very official language, exonerated Thorne and Orde of dishonesty, of course, but it emphasized their “lack of tact and business ability,” and condemned strongly their attitude in the Durham matter.  This report would ordinarily have gone no farther than the district office, where it might have been acted on by the officers in charge to the great detriment of the Service.  At that time the evil of sending out as inspectors men admirably trained in theory but woefully lacking in practice and the knowledge of Western humankind was one of the great menaces to effective personnel.  Fortunately this particular report came into the hands of the Chief, who happened to be touring in the West.  A fuller investigation exposed to the sapient experience of that able man the gullibility of the inspector.  From the district a brief statement was issued upholding the local administration.