saddle at once, but remained for several minutes,
studying the nearest landmarks to the apparent location of the fire and
the surest method of getting there. That ride was somewhat of a novel
experience for Kit as well as the boy. The little mare had grown
accustomed to a quiet, even pace on the forest trails, and the use of
the spur was a thing not to be borne. Wilbur felt as if he were fairly
flying through the pine woods. Still he remembered to keep the mare well
in hand going down the steeper slopes, and within a couple of hours he
found himself at the fire. Then Wilbur found how true it was that a
blaze could easily be put out if caught early. There was little wind,
and the line of fire was not more than a mile long. By clearing the
ground, brushing the needles aside for a foot or so on the lee side of
the fire, most of it burned itself out and the rest he could stamp to
extinction. Here and there he used his fire shovel and threw a little
earth where the blaze was highest.

That evening he telephoned to headquarters, reporting that he had put
the fire out, but only received a kindly worded rebuke for not having
endeavored to find out what caused the fire, and a suggestion that he
should ride back the next day and investigate. But before he could
telephone himself the next evening, and while he was at supper, the
'phone rang, and he found the Supervisor was on the wire.

"Come to headquarters at once," he was told; "all hands are wanted."

"To-night, Mr. Merritt?" the boy queried.

There was a moment's pause.

"What did you do to-day?" he asked in answer.

"I went to find out what started that fire," the boy replied. "It was a
couple of fishermen from the city. They had been here before, and so had
no guide. I followed them up and showed them how to make a fire
properly."

"That's a pretty long ride," said Merritt; "I guess you can come over
first thing to-morrow morning."

"Very well, sir," said Wilbur, and hung up the receiver.

"I certainly do wonder," he said aloud, "what it can be? It can't be a
big fire, or he would tell me to come anyway, no matter what I'd done
to-day, especially as fire is best fought at night. And I don't see how
it can be any trouble over Peavey Jo, because that's in the hands of the
Washington people now. Unless," he added as an afterthought, "they have
come to arrest him."

Having settled in his mind that this was probably the trouble, Wilbur
returned to his supper. Just a