y at the station was transferring a radar
storm plot onto a weather chart. He glanced up as the two men entered.

"Back so soon," he commented. "That was a quick trip. Get the job
done?"

"Neither rain, snow or sun stops the Division of Agriculture in its
appointed rounds," Troy said flippantly. "Harry, call Spokane and tell
'em we're ready for a pickup, please."

The ranger reached for a mike. "Spokane Region," he called, "this is
Elk City station."

"This is Spokane," came the reply.

"Your two snow boys are here," Harry said, "looking for a lift. Can
you send a 'copter after them?"

"Affirmative, Elk City," Spokane communicator replied. "We'll pick
them up in about forty-five minutes."

"Thanks, Harry," Troy said. "We're going to take a walk uptown and get
something to eat. If the chopper should get here sooner, tell him
we'll be right back."

"O.K.," the ranger said, "but there's a pot of coffee on the stove in
the kitchen if you want to save yourself the walk."

Alec grimaced. "I had a cup of that concentrated sulphuric acid you
call coffee on the way up," he said. "No thanks, anyway. What do you
make that stuff out of? Leftover road oil?"

"Man's drink for a real man," the ranger grinned. "Us forestry men
learn to make coffee from pine pitch. Makes a man outta you."

"Huh," Alec sniffed as they turned to leave, "pine pitch is just sap
and anyone who'd drink that stuff deserves the name--'sap' that is."

The ranger grinned as the hydrologists walked out.

* * * * *

Troy and Alec were walking back up the street to the station when the
big cargo copter settled down to the pad at the rear of the station.
They hurried their pace and got to their Sno cars. By the time they
had driven around to the pad, the copter crew had lowered the ramp and
they drove directly up and into the craft. A row of front-wheel racks
studded the after wall of the cargo deck and Troy and Alec nosed their
Sno cars into the racks. By the time they had cut power and climbed
out, the crewmen had cargo locks on both vehicles.

The crew chief closed the ramp and punched a signal button. As Troy
and Alec climbed up the gangway to the crew-passenger deck, the big
jet rotors were already churning and the copter lifted into the again
lightly falling snow.

The hydrologists settled into seats for the short ride to Spokane. The
copter swung to the northwest, roaring a thousand feet above the
snow-covere