leave here, as manager in Johnson's
place; if he abuses the confidence I am placing in him he will force me
to appoint some one else. I wish to be perfectly fair."

"But I do not like Thornton," declared Donald.

"We must never be guided by our prejudices, Don."

"And anyway," went on the boy, "I don't see how you will know what he is
doing. You will be miles away in the hills. He could do almost anything
he chose. Have you left some one to watch him, father?"

"No, indeed, son. That would be a mean method; don't you think so? To
set a trap for a man, or to spy upon him would be contemptible!"

Donald hung his head, ashamed of the suggestion.

"No," continued Mr. Clark less severely, "I have left no one on guard
over Thornton but himself. I am really trusting him."

"You will never find out what he does, then."

"Yes, I shall."

"I don't see how."

"Thornton himself shall tell me."

Donald gasped.

"He never will tell you, father!" announced the boy positively.

"Wait and see. Now let us think no more of Thornton, for it is of Sandy
that we are to talk. He has a great surprise for you."

"A surprise for me!"

"Yes."

Mr. Clark studied the lad's mystified expression with pleasure.

"A surprise for me!" repeated Donald. "What can it be!"

"You will see."

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

"No, not a word. It would spoil Sandy's fun."

"A surprise!" reiterated Donald over and over.

As they rode from the central camp up over the rough trail Don
speculated constantly as to what could be in store for him. It seemed a
long journey for he was impatient to solve the waiting enigma. What
surprise could Sandy have concocted? At the border of the Reserve they
met the ranger who chanced to be patrolling that portion of the
government line. He remembered Donald very well and greeted him kindly;
he also had a cordial word for Mr. Clark. Donald, however, begrudged
even this brief delay and was glad when they plunged into the woods and
were on their way through the National Forest.

Pete, the Mexican camp-tender who had come with them as guide, knew the
country as an American boy knows his A B C's. He hunted out sheltered
nooks where they could camp at night, taking great care to build the
fire on a rocky base that it might not set ablaze the brush and litter
of pine-needles about them.

"Many a careless shepherd sets a forest fire through being thoughtless,"
he said. "Acres of timber will be burned off a h