ile the little
group of rangers, with Thorne, his sister and Bob, moved slowly toward
headquarters.

"That's all this morning, boys," he told the waiting group as they
passed it. "This afternoon we'll double up a bit. The rest of you can
all take a try at the packing, but at the same time we'll see who can
cut down a tree quickest and best."

"Stop and eat lunch with us," Amy was urging Bob. "It's only a cold
one--not even tea. I didn't want to miss the show. So it's no bother."

They all turned to and set the table under the open.

"This is great fun," said Bob gratefully, as they sat down. "Good as a
field day. When do you expect to begin your examinations? That's what
these fellows are here for, isn't it?"

He looked up to catch both Thorne and Amy looking on him with a
comically hopeless air.

"You don't mean to say!" cried Bob, a light breaking in on him. "--of
course! I never thought----"

"What do you suppose we would examine candidates for Forest Ranger
in--higher mathematics?" demanded Amy.

"Now that's practical--that's got some sense!" cried Bob
enthusiastically.

Thorne, with a whimsical smile, held up his finger for silence. Through
the thin screen of azalea bushes that fringed this open-air dining room
Bob saw two men approaching down the forest. They were evidently unaware
of observation. With considerable circumspection they drew near and
disappeared within the little tool house. Bob recognized the two
lumberjacks from his own camp.

"What are those fellows after?" he demanded indignantly.

But Thorne again motioned for caution.

"I suspect," said Thorne in a low voice. "Go on eating your lunch. We'll
see."

The men were inside the tool house for some time. When they reappeared,
each carried an axe. They looked about them cautiously. No one was in
sight. Then they thrust the axes underneath a log, and disappeared in
the direction of their own camp.

Thorne laughed aloud.

"The old foxes!" said he. "I'll bet anything you please that we'll find
the two best-balanced axes the Government owns under that log."

Such proved to be the case. Furthermore, the implements had been ground
to a razor edge.

"When I mentioned tree cutting, I saw their eyes light up," said Thorne.
"It's always interesting in a crowd of candidates like this to see every
man cheer up when his specialty comes along." He chuckled. "Wait till I
spring the written examinations on them. Then you'll see them droop."

"