Ranger, that they had started from Ben's
shack only the morning before.

"I like Mr. Merritt," he said as soon as they had got started. "I like
McGinnis, too."

"I reckon he wasn't over-pleased with your bein' late?" queried
Rifle-Eye.

"He wasn't," admitted the boy candidly, "but I don't blame him for that.
I liked him just the same. But I don't think it's safe to monkey with
him. Now, McGinnis is easygoing and good-natured."

"So is a mountain river runnin' down a smooth bed. The river is just the
same old river when rocks get in the road, but it acts a lot different.
Now, Merritt, when he's satisfied and when he ain't, don't vary, but I
tell you, McGinnis can show white water sometimes."

"I don't think I'm aching to be that rock," said Wilbur with a grin.

"Wa'al," said the Ranger, "I ain't filed no petition for the nomination,
not yet."

"But tell me, Rifle-Eye," said the boy, "what is McGinnis? He isn't a
Guard, is he? and he doesn't talk like a Ranger from another part of the
forest."

"No, he's an expert lumberman," replied the hunter. "He isn't attached
to this forest at all. He ain't even under the service of the government
all the while. He generally is, because he knows his business an' the
Forest Service knows a good man when it sees one. They engage him for a
month, or three, or four months, an' he goes wherever there's a timber
sale, or a big cut. Often as not, he teaches the Rangers a heap of
things they don't know about lumberin', and the Forest Assistants
themselves ain't above takin' practical pointers from him."

"But I thought Mr. Merritt said that McGinnis only knew this kind of
forest?"

"He said McGinnis wouldn't know anything of an Eastern hardwood forest.
That's right. But the government hasn't got any hardwood forests yet,
though I guess they soon will in the Appalachians. But you can't lose
him in any kind of pine. I've met up with him from Arizona to Alaska."

The old woodsman turned sharply from the trail, apparently into the
unbroken forest.

"Do you see the trail?" he asked.

Wilbur looked on the ground to see if he could discern any traces. Not
doing so, he looked up at the Ranger, who had half turned in the saddle
to watch him. As he shook his head in denial he noticed the old
mountaineer looking at him with grieved surprise.

"What do you reckon you were lookin' on the ground for?" he asked.

"For the trail," said Wilbur.

"Did ye think this was a city park?" said