s well," decided the ranger, striding over and
tying his horse to a sapling.

Hippy introduced him to the members of the Overland party, the ranger
bowing awkwardly, but with the quiet dignity so characteristic of those
who have learned their lesson from the heart of nature herself.

"Sorry, folks, that I had to be up a tree with you, but we must do our
duty and protect this forest. There are not many of 'em left in these
United States, and what there is, are going fast. I'll have a snack with
you."

"Peace has been declared," murmured Emma.

"Keep that menagerie away! I don't like bears nosing around me any
more'n I do wolves."

"Wolves!" exclaimed Nora. "We heard one last night."

"There are lots of 'em up here and they kill the game. The state offers
a bounty of seven dollars and a half for every one killed--every
full-grown critter; ten dollars for cubs."

"You say the state desires to get rid of them?" questioned Emma.

"All states do. They're varmints," answered the ranger.

"Why don't they try dynamite?" asked Emma. "Perhaps the wolves might eat
it and go off."

"Call the bear," suggested Hippy after a brief silence.

The Overland Riders shouted, and the forest ranger grinned, the bull pup
joining in the merriment by barking and dashing about the camp, taking a
gentle nip at Henry's flank as he passed that none too good-natured
beast.

"I reckon this _is_ a circus after all," choked the guide, trying to
talk and eat a slice of tough bacon at the same time. "Tell me what
happened about that fire. I reckon you haven't told the whole of it."

Hippy thereupon related what they had discovered after the fire, as well
as the experiences they had gone through preceding the fire, to all of
which the forest ranger lent an attentive ear.

"Hm-m-m!" he mused. "Reckon you haven't heard the last of that outfit.
Tatem'll have it up his sleeve for you long as he lives. Keep your eyes
peeled. That Dusenbery outfit is the biggest set of timber thieves in
the North Woods and I hope we catch 'em. Do I understand that your
husband is looking for 'timber-lookers' who are looking for easy money
on the sly, Mrs. Gray?"

"He may be," smiled Grace diplomatically.

"Mebby I'll run across him. Thanks for the snack. Thanks to you, Miss
Dean, for the wolf suggestion. I'll pass it on to the Game and Fish
Commissioner at St. Paul. I'll be off now."

"How about this campfire, 'Chatty'? Do you still insist that we put it
out