.
There is very little timber left in all Pennsylvania as fine as this. A
good part of it has already been burned. We are keeping close watch on
what is left. You never can tell when or where fires will start and we
want to grab them at the first possible minute. So I must shake a leg."

"How do you grab a fire?" demanded Charley. "Please tell us. Maybe we
could help put one out some day if we knew how."

The ranger laughed. "You're a persistent Indian," he said, "and I'm glad
you like the forest."

"Like it!" exclaimed Charley. "I love it."

He poured a cup of hot coffee and handed it to the ranger. "Tell us how
you put out a fire," he pleaded.

The ranger chuckled. "You're a diplomat as well as a forest lover, I see,"
he said. "Well, I shall keep moving through this tract of timber all day
long. If I see a fire I shall hurry to it, the way I came down to your big
smoke. I'll put it out, if possible. And if I can't get it out, I'll
summon help. Then we'll fight it until we do get it out."

"How could you get help, when you're alone in the deep forest?"

"I'd make my way out to the highway where our wire runs and connect up
this portable telephone," and the ranger pointed to a little leather case,
like a kodak box, that hung from his shoulder by a leather strap. "In a
minute's time a fire crew would be on the way to my assistance in a
motor-truck."

The ranger handed Charley the empty cup and thanked him.

"Have some more coffee?" urged Charley.

"'Get thee behind me, Satan,'" quoted the ranger. "I believe you'd keep me
here all day if you could. I must be moving."

"Just a minute," pleaded Charley. "You said it was difficult to find fire
patrols. Could I get a job as a fire patrol? I don't know as much about
fighting fire as you do, but I can patrol the forest and report fires as
well as anybody."

"I wish you could be a patrol," replied the ranger heartily. "I'm sure
you'd make a good one. You seem to like the forest. But I don't believe it
is possible. The chief never hires anybody under twenty-one years of age
excepting in very unusual circumstances. In fact, I know of only two such
cases. And those two boys were almost of age and were unusualy well
qualified. I'm sorry, for I'd like to see you in the Forest Service.
Good-bye." He turned on his heel and was gone.

Lew watched the ranger until he disappeared from view. Charley scarcely
glanced at him. He was lost in thought. Evidently his thoughts were