the Chief Forester to-day,
and so I took the trouble to telephone to one of the men in the office
who would be likely to know the result of your interview."

"Isn't it bully?"

"Yes," said the older man with a quiet laugh, "I think it is 'bully,' as
you call it. But I didn't call only to congratulate you; I thought
perhaps you would like to come with me to-night and meet some of the men
in the Forest Service who are really doing things out West. If you do,
there's no time to waste."

"You bet I do," the boy replied hastily. "But what is it all about?"

"It's a lecture on forestry in China, but it happens to come at the same
time as a meeting of the District Foresters, so they're all in town.
Trot along upstairs and get your hat, and we can talk about it on the
way."

The geologist sauntered over to an acquaintance who was standing in the
hotel lobby near by, but he had hardly exchanged half a dozen sentences
with him when Wilbur reappeared, ready to go.

"You see," said Masseth as they left the hotel, "it is a good plan for
you to meet as many of the leaders of your profession as you can, not
only because their friendship may be useful to you, nor yet only because
they are all pleasant fellows, but because forestry is a profession, a
very large and complex one, and it is a revelation sometimes to see what
can be made of it. I know myself, whenever I meet a great geologist I
always feel a little better to think I can say, 'I am a geologist, too.'
So you, I hope, may be able to say some day, 'I am a Forester, too.'"

"I'm one now," said Wilbur elatedly.

"You're not, you're only a cub yet," corrected his uncle sharply; "don't
let your enthusiasm run away with your good sense. You are no more a
Forester yet than a railroad bill-clerk is a transportation expert."

"All right, uncle," said Wilbur, "I'll swallow my medicine and take that
all back. I'm not even the ghost of a Forester--yet."

"You will meet the real article to-night. As I told you, the District
Foresters are East for a conference, and this lecture is given before
the Forestry Association. So you will have a good chance of sizing up
the sort of men you are likely to be with."

"Will the Forest Supervisors be there, too?"

"I should imagine not. There may be one or two in town. But the
Supervisors alone would make quite a gathering if they were all here.
There are over a hundred, are there not? You ought to know."

"Just a hundred and forty-one no