, being near the borders of their two districts, and having
plenty of good water and good feed near. But although it was barely
dark, Wilbur was tired enough to be glad to stretch himself on the cot
in the little room and sink to sleep amid the soughing of the wind
through the pine needles of neighboring forest giants one and two
hundred feet high.

Early the next morning, Wilbur tumbled up, went out and looked after his
horses, and came in hungry to breakfast.

"I had intended," said the Supervisor, "to go with you this morning and
show you the part of the range you are to look after. But I want to get
at Peavey Jo, lest he should decide to leave suddenly, and Rifle-Eye
will show you the way instead. I had the tent pitched three or four days
ago, when you ought to have been here. You'll find that to cover your
range takes about six hours' good riding a day. Use a different horse,
of course, each day, and remember that your horse in some ways is fully
as important as you are. You can stand a heap of things that he can't.
A man will tire out any animal that breathes."

"And what have I to do?"

"You have three trails to ride, on three successive days, so that you
will have a chance of seeing all your range, or points that will command
all your range at least twice a week. And, of course, quite a good deal
of it you will cover daily. You are to watch out for fires, and if you
see one, put it out. If you can't put it out alone, ride back to your
camp and telephone here, as soon as it is evening. Sometimes it is
better to keep working alone until you know there's some one to answer
the 'phone, sometimes it's better to get help right away. You can tell
about that when you have got to the fire and have seen what it is."

Wilbur nodded.

"That's easy enough to follow," he said.

"If a heavy rain comes, you had better ride back here, because for a few
days after a big rain a fire isn't likely to start, and there's always
lots of other stuff to be done in the forest, trail-building, and things
of that sort."

"Very well, Mr. Merritt," answered the boy.

"There are no timber sales going on in that section of the forest, so
that if you see any cutting going on, just ride up quietly and get into
conversation with the people cutting and casually find out their names.
Ask no other questions, but in the evening telephone to me."

"The telephone must be a big convenience. But," added Wilbur, "it seems
to take away the primi