g to do. Most fires come through the carelessness of campers.
To warn them to be careful, to try to put out fires as soon as you
discover them and notify me if you fail, will be about all you will
ordinarily have to do. The chief forest fire-warden will attend to
investigating fires. But in this case, I especially want to know how this
fire started. Sometimes boys, if they are shrewd enough, make the best of
all agents for watching folks. People don't take boys seriously, and will
often do or say incriminating things before boys that they would not
dream of doing in the presence of grown men. If you keep your eyes and
ears open and your mouth shut, you may be very useful. And the less you
appear to know, the more useful you will be."

Charley looked at his watch. "Willie will be at his instrument in three
minutes, sure," he said. "He might even be there now."

He drew the pack bags from the wireless instruments and sat down, watch in
hand, beside them. The forester looked on with keenest interest. He no
longer regarded the wireless outfit as a mere plaything. If the boys could
do what they said they could, he saw what a help wireless communication
might be in protecting the forest. He had always considered the telephone
as about the last step that could be made in quick communication in the
forest. But his telephone was miles away and he had to get to it before he
could talk with his office. Here was a boy who could sit down anywhere and
instantly talk to a wireless operator anywhere else within a reasonable
distance--that is, he could, if all that Charley said was true. Of course
the forester knew about radio-telegraphy, but he was like many other
people who have not actually seen persons talk by wireless. It seemed as
though it could hardly be.

But he was not to remain long in doubt. When the three-minute period had
elapsed, Charley threw over his switch, and sent Willie's call signal
flashing abroad. Hardly had he taken his finger from his key when the
answer buzzed in his ear.

"Got him," said Charley.

"Who?" asked the forester in astonishment.

"Willie Brown, at Central City. I'm telling him to get your assistant on
the telephone." And he made the sparks fairly tumble over one another, so
rapidly did he manipulate the key.

"Willie's going to get him," he announced, a moment later.

They sat silent for several minutes. Then a signal once more sounded in
Charley's ear.

"Willie's got your assistant on th