The Trail in the Forest
The following day the two young patrols were to report to their ranger at
the appointed place in the forest. Although the ranger had much farther to
travel than they did, the boys knew from experience that he was afoot
early during the fire season, and they felt certain he would be at the
meeting-place before the appointed hour. Charley wanted to be as prompt as
his ranger, and so the two boys were astir by the time the first streaks
of light tinged the eastern skies.
It was still dark enough to risk a little blaze in their fireplace and the
warmth was grateful, for the early morning air was chill enough. Breakfast
was soon cooked and their camp put to rights. Then, taking their
fishing-rods again, they set forth to patrol the forest. The pup was tied
in the tent, lest he should get into trouble with a porcupine or some
other creature of the forest, and so make them tardy for their
appointment.
Their plan was to travel down their own valley for a distance, then pass
through a gap to a fire trail in the next bottom, which would lead to
other trails that would take them close to their destination. They had
studied out their route carefully on the map, and they made their way
with both speed and certainty.
For a long time nothing of moment happened to them. The sun came up bright
and clear, flirting with the fleecy clouds in the sky, that now plunged
the land in deep shadow and again drew aside so that the forest was bathed
in golden sunlight. The earth sent forth fragrant exhalations. A gentle
breeze lent a tonic quality to the atmosphere. The leaves sparkled with
dew, and the stream in the bottom flashed in the sunlight, filling the
woods with its sonorous babble. So inviting was the scene that despite
their haste, the boys could not resist the temptation to drop their hooks
in promising pools as they moved along. Without half trying, they
accumulated a dozen fine trout. The smaller ones they carefully unhooked
and threw back into the stream.
They passed through the gap in the mountain and started to cross the
bottom to the fire trail. At the brook in the middle of the valley they
paused to make one last cast in an especially inviting pool. At that
moment two men came out of a near-by thicket. Both were smoking. They were
equipped like fishermen, though they had no fish. They were rough looking,
with hard faces. One of them had an ugly scar above his right eye and
showed a mouthful of gold teeth when he took his cigar from his mouth, as
he asked, "What luck?"
"We've got a few," replied Charley, extending his creel for their
inspection.
The man looked at the fish and swore savagely. "These kids have fished
the brook out," he growled. "There's no use trying this stream. We'll have
to go on to the next valley."
Charley was in a quandary. These men, with their cigars, were a menace to
the forest. It made him nervous merely to look at the glowing tobacco and
the careless way the men flicked the ashes about. He was almost
panic-stricken at the idea of their passing into his own valley while he
was absent. He did not know whether to tell them the truth about his fish
or remain silent. But he remembered that his watch in that valley was
supposed to be a secret one, and he said nothing. Afterward he was glad
that he had remained silent.
"Come on," said the man with the gold teeth. "These kids have queered us
here. We'll be moving."
As he started away he gave Charley such a savage look that it almost
frightened Charley. It did worry and alarm him, for he could not help
asking himself what he should do if he had to deal sternly with such a
man. Even with Lew at his side, he felt fearful. Alone in the forest with
such desperate-looking men, he knew that he would be helpless.
Then he remembered the automatic stowed in his hip pocket and felt
relieved. Now he understood much better why the ranger had given it to
him. The remembrance that he had this weapon stiffened his courage
wonderfully. He determined that if gun-play ever became necessary, he
would not be caught napping. At once he shifted the automatic to his coat
pocket, where he could shoot without drawing the weapon, and where he
could carry his hand without exciting suspicion.
"Gee!" whispered Lew, after the two men had passed out of hearing. "I
wouldn't care to meet that pair after dark."
"What I am afraid of," said Charley, "is that they will set the forest
afire. They were mighty careless with their cigars. Will they be any more
careful with the butts when they have finished their smoke? I don't know
but what we ought to trail them. Yet we've got to meet Mr. Morton and I
don't want to be tardy. I can't make up my mind what we ought to do."
After a moment's consideration, he unjointed his rod, and started off in
the direction from which the men had come. "We'll find Mr. Morton just as
quick as we can," he said with decision, "and tell him the situation.
Meantime, we'll make sure those men didn't start any fires up to this
point."
Charley's anxiety lent wings to his heels and he started at a rate of
speed that would soon have winded both boys. At a protest from Lew, he
dropped to a fast walk. With open fire trails before them, the chums
advanced rapidly. Soon they were well up the slope of the next mountain.
They turned and studied the country behind them with anxious eyes. But no
smoke columns showed against the green of the forest and they went on with
lighter hearts.
"I'm certainly going to get a pair of good field-glasses," said Charley,
"though I don't know where the money's to come from any more than I know
how I'll get my battery. But I just have to have both."
Their meeting-place with Mr. Morton was in the next valley. Charley
glanced at his watch and saw that they were early for the appointment. Yet
he kept on at good speed in the hope that Mr. Morton might also be early.
He wanted to talk to him as soon as he possibly could. The two boys never
reached the meeting-place, however, for shortly they met Mr. Morton
himself coming up the fire trail. He had reached the meeting-place, and,
being early, had decided to climb to the top of the hill. He knew that his
subordinate would almost certainly travel by way of this fire trail, and
he planned to keep watch on the mountain top while he waited for him.
Charley was so relieved to see his ranger that he scarcely knew what to
say. He suddenly felt so different that he was almost ashamed of having
been alarmed. As he looked at it now, it seemed foolish to have been so
disturbed because a stranger had been provoked at what he chose to regard
as interference with his fishing.
The ranger shook hands warmly with his young friends. "I see you have kept
the forest safe so far," he said with a smile. "How have things been
going?"
"All right," replied Charley, "but we met a couple of men an hour or so
ago, whose looks we didn't like."
"How's that? What did they do that you didn't like?"
"Well, they were smoking and they were careless with their cigars. Since
we met them I've been expecting to see a smoke column rising every time I
turned around; and I'd hate to tell you how many times I've looked back in
the last hour."
"It never hurts a man in the forest to look back," said Mr. Morton with
another smile. "Lot's wife is the only person on record who came to grief
that way. But seriously, you mustn't get nervous just because you see a
smoker. You'll meet hundreds of them, and they're all pretty careless."
Charley flushed a little. "You don't understand, Mr. Morton," he went on.
"I wasn't nervous--that is, I didn't--I mean, it wasn't the mere fact that
the men were smoking that made me feel anxious. I didn't like the looks of
the men or their actions."
"What did they do?"
"Well, they swore at us."
The ranger laughed. "That's a habit of these mountaineers," he said. "You
mustn't pay any attention to it. They don't mean anything by it."
"Do they look at you as though they'd like to kill you, too?" demanded
Charley. "Is that a habit of these mountaineers?"
Instantly the ranger's face was sober. "See here," he said seriously.
"What have you been doing? What did you do or say to the men that made
them curse you? A little authority hasn't made you toplofty, has it? You
know you are not supposed to let anybody know that you're a fire patrol."
"I didn't," replied Charley, stung by the implied criticism. "We caught a
few fish in our own valley, then cut through to the valley just below us,
on our way to this trail. Just as we reached the run, two men came out of
the bushes. They asked what we had caught, and when I showed them, one of
them swore at us terribly and said we had fished the stream out so that
they would have to go on to the next valley."
"Is that all?" laughed the ranger, looking much relieved.
"No, sir, it isn't," continued Charley. "They looked as though they wanted
to kill us."
The ranger was inclined to smile, but he forbore, seeing that Charley was
sensitive. "You'll soon get used to meeting tough-looking customers in the
forest," he said.
"I hope that I don't meet many like that fellow," sighed Charley. "When he
scowled at me, he looked as fierce as a chimpanzee. And he had an ugly
scar over his eye that actually seemed to turn red."
Instantly the ranger's face became sober. "A scar over his eye," he
repeated. "Which eye?"
"His right one."
"Did you notice his mouth?"
"Sure. I couldn't help noticing it. It was full of gold teeth."
The ranger gave a low whistle. His face became still more serious. "Tell
me exactly what was said and done," he continued. "Repeat your
conversation just as accurately as you can."
When Charley had rehearsed the entire affair in detail, the ranger asked,
"And you are sure you gave him no hint that you had come from the next
valley?"
"Absolutely none. I thought right away that I mustn't do that."
"You're a lad of discretion," smiled the ranger. "You have done well. But
be awful careful of that old scoundrel. That's Bill Collins. He's a bad
egg if there ever was one. He never came into these mountains to catch
fish. That's merely a blind. And he was headed for your valley, too.
That's absolutely certain. Otherwise he wouldn't have gone there."
The ranger paused in thought. "<i>Did</i> he go there?" he continued. "That's
the problem. If he said he was going there, it's more than likely he was
headed for some other place and wanted to throw you off the track."
Again the ranger paused and studied Charley's face keenly. Evidently the
wide-set eyes, with their indication of intelligence, the strong nose and
good chin, and especially Charley's straight mouth with its thin lips,
reassured him. "My boy," he said kindly, "I don't want to alarm you
unnecessarily, but be careful of that man. He's up to something, or he
wouldn't be in this forest; but what it can be, I've not the remotest
idea. The only thing I can think of that would bring him here is the
virgin timber. He's been mixed up in several crooked lumber deals. He
wouldn't hesitate for an instant to steal timber or to set the forest
afire. And it's my personal belief that he wouldn't stop at"--he paused
and studied Charley's face again--"at murder."
The two boys were sober. For a moment they looked at the ranger in
silence. Then, "What had I better do?" asked Charley.
"Keep out of Collins' road," answered Mr. Morton instantly. "If you can
get track of him, watch him; but don't let him see you or know he is
watched."
Again the ranger paused to ponder the matter. "It isn't a square deal to
let you kids go up against that old crook," he said suddenly. "Come on.
We'll see if we can find him. And if we do, I know how to deal with him."
The ranger strode forward at a terrific pace. The two boys had almost to
run to keep up with him. Over his face came a grim expression that boded
no good for Bill Collins. On and on he went, saying never a word.
Evidently he was revolving the situation in his own mind. Not until they
reached the brook did he utter a syllable. Then he said, "Show me exactly
where you boys were and where the two men came out of the bushes."
Charley pointed out the respective positions. Mr. Morton searched the
bushes but found nothing enlightening.
"Which way did they go after they left you?" he asked.
Lew pointed out the route they had taken. Along the margin of the brook
both men had left clear footprints. Mr. Morton sank to his knees and the
three studied these prints closely. Then, "Come on," he said, rising.
"We'll see if we can trail them."
Lew led the way to the point at which they had last seen the men. The
disturbed condition of the leaves showed plainly that some one had passed.
Very slowly and painstakingly the ranger followed the trail. In many
places the forest mold still retained the imprint of a foot distinctly. So
they followed the trail for several rods. Then they were unable to find
any more footprints, nor did the leaves appear disturbed in any way.
"They've turned off to one side or the other," said the ranger, when he
was sure they had overrun the trail. "Let's see if we can find which way
they went."
The three investigators turned and spread out, advancing a foot at a time,
and examined the ground minutely. Not a leaf nor a stick, nor yet the
bushes or tree trunks escaped observation. At last Charley gave a little
cry. He had found a footprint that corresponded exactly with one they had
studied by the brook. A little farther on a second imprint was visible,
and the leaves again had the appearance of having been disturbed. For some
distance they continued to search for and to find footprints and other
unmistakable signs of the passage of the two men.
"It is useless to look for any more tracks," said the ranger,
straightening up. "Collins and his companion quite evidently went up this
valley instead of the one they told you they were heading for. They were
merely trying to mislead you, which makes me all the more certain they are
here for no good purpose. They certainly had no reason to suspect your
connection with the Forest Service, and I presume that Collins was so
annoyed at being seen by anybody that he just couldn't keep his temper. So
he swore at you. He's a violent chap. It's certain that he's somewhere
ahead of us, with at least two hours' start. We'll try to overtake him,
though we don't want him to see us. What we'll do if we find him will
depend upon circumstances. Now let's hustle. But be quiet and keep your
eyes open."
Not until near sundown was the search discontinued. Then, finding
themselves almost directly below the watch-tower, the ranger and his two
helpers struck directly up the slope, took a long, careful look for smoke,
and descended toward Charley's camp.
"I'm going to spend the night with you," explained the ranger. "I wish
that you would try to call up Katharine and tell her how it is. I don't
like to leave the forest until I find out what those scamps are up to."
They came to the camp. The pup was still in the tent, and everything
seemed to be as it was when the two young patrols left in the morning.
"Things seem to be all right," said Charley. "We'll be a bit cautious and
cook on the alcohol stove to-night."
But when he went to the spring for water, he gave a cry of dismay. In the
soft ground by the spring basin was a footprint exactly like that they had
traced so painfully in the other valley.