THE LONG TRAIL 



the MacGregor sits is the head of the 

 table!" Where father sat was always the 

 head of the table, and yet he treated every- 

 one with the same courtesy and simplicity, 

 whether it was the governor of the Protec- 

 torate or the poorest Boer settler. I re- 

 member how amazed some were at the lack 

 of formality in his relationship with the 

 members of the expedition. Many people 

 who have held high positions feel it in- 

 cumbent on them to maintain a certain 

 distance in their dealings with their less 

 illustrious fellow men. If they let down 

 the barrier they feel they would lose dig- 

 nity. They are generally right, for their 

 superiority is not innate, but the result of 

 chance. With father it was otherwise. 

 The respect and consideration felt for him 

 could not have been greater, and would 

 certainly not have been so sincere, had he 

 built a seven-foot barrier about himself. 

 46 



