he heavy timbers, after
leaving the saw, went straight down the middle of the mill, the planks
went to the right, the boards in another direction. Men and boys were
everywhere, each with a lever in hand. There was not the slightest
cessation of the work. And a log forty feet long and six feet thick,
which had taken hundreds of years to grow, was cut up in just four
minutes.

The place fascinated me. I had not dreamed that a sawmill could be
brought to such a pitch of mechanical perfection, and I wondered how
long the timber would last at that rate of cutting. The movement and din
tired me, and I went outside upon a long platform. Here workmen caught
the planks and boards as they came out, and loaded them upon trucks
which were wheeled away. This platform was a world in itself. It sent
arms everywhere among the piles of lumber, and once or twice I was as
much lost as I had been up in the forest.

While turning into one of these byways I came suddenly upon Buell and
another man. They were standing near a little house of weather-strips,
evidently an office, and were in their shirt-sleeves. They had not seen
or heard me. I dodged behind a pile of planks, intending to slip back
the way I had come. Before I could move Buell's voice rooted me to the
spot.

"His name's Ward. Tall, well-set lad. I put Greaser after him the other
night, hopin' to scare him back East. But nix!"

"Well, he's here now--to study forestry! Ha! ha!" said the other.

"You're sure the boy you mean is the one I mean?"

"Greaser told me so. And this boy is Leslie's friend."

"That's the worst of it," replied Buell, impatiently. "I've got Leslie
fixed as far as this lumber deal is concerned, but he won't stand for
any more. He was harder to fix than the other rangers, an' I'm afraid of
him." he's grouchy now.

"You shouldn't have let the boy get here."

"Stockton, I tried to prevent it. I put Greaser with Bud an' Bill on his
trail. They didn't find him, an' now here he turns up."

"Maybe he can be fixed."

"Not if I know my business, he can't; take that from me. This kid is
straight. He'll queer my deal in a minute if he gets wise. Mind you, I'm
gettin' leary of Washington. We've seen about the last of these lumber
deals. If I can pull this one off I'll quit; all I want is a little more
time. Then I'll fire the slash, an' that'll cover tracks."

"Buell, I wouldn't want to be near Penetier when you light that fire.
This forest will burn like t