“Wal, rest awhile. You look like you hadn't slept much.”
He asked me about my people and home, and was so interested in forestry
that he left off his task of the moment to talk about it. I was not long
in discovering that what he did not know about trees and forests was
hardly worth learning. He called it plain woodcraft. He had never heard
of forestry. All the same I hungered for his knowledge. How lucky for me
to fall in with him! The things that had puzzled me about the pines he
answered easily. Then he volunteered information. From talking of the
forest, he drifted to the lumbermen.
“Wal, the lumber-sharks are rippin' holes in Penetier. I reckon they
wouldn't stop at nothin'. I've heered some tough stories about thet
sawmill gang. I ain't acquainted with Leslie, or any of them fellers you
named except Jim Williams. I knowed Jim. He was in Springer fer a while.
If Jim's your friend, there'll be somethin' happenin, when he rounds up
them kidnappers. I reckon you'd better hang up with me fer a while. You
don't want to get ketched again. Your life wasn't much to them fellers.
I think they'd held on to you fer money. It's too bad you didn't send
word home to your people.”
“I sent word home about the big steal of timber. That was before I got
kidnapped. By this time the Government knows.”
“Wal, you don't say! Thet was pert of you, youngster. An' will the
Government round up these sharks?”
“Indeed it will. The Government is in dead earnest about protecting the
National Forests.”
“So it ought to be. Next to a forest fire, I hate these skinned timber
tracts. Wal, old Penetier's going to see somethin' lively before long.
Youngster, them lumbermen--leastways, them fellers you call Bud an'
Bill, an' such--they're goin' to fight.”
The old hunter left me presently, and went outside. I waited awhile for
him, but as he did not return I lay down upon the bearskins and dropped
to sleep. It seemed I had hardly closed my eyes when I felt a hand on my
arm and heard a voice.
“Wake up, youngster. Thar's two old bears an' a cub been foolin' with
one of my traps.”
In a flash I was wide awake.
“Let's see your gun. Humph! pretty small--38 caliber, ain't it? Wal,
it'll do the work if you hold straight. Can you shoot?”
“Fairly well.”
He took his heavy Winchester, and threw a coil of thin rope over his
shoulder.
“Come on. Stay close to me, an' keep your eyes peeled.”