the
accepted and chosen leader of the trio on all their expeditions. Garry's
father, known to the backwoodsmen as "Moose" Boone, is a wealthy
lumberman.

Next is Phil Durant, a dark-haired youth of French descent. He is able
to talk French fluently, but keeps this knowledge under cover, as the
boys once found it useful for him to do. He is the son of a father and
mother who are situated in very moderate circumstances.

Last, but by no means least, is Dick Wallace, the ward of Garry's
father. Dick is the son of a college professor, who was a chum of Mr.
Boone. He fell from a horse and injured his head when Dick was a
youngster, and then disappeared. Dick's mother had died when he was a
baby, so Mr. Boone took him into his own home to bring up. Dick, by the
way, is rather fat; "plump" he calls himself.

These three boys form an extraordinary unit of the Maine Ranger service,
that body of men whose duty it is to protect the great forest lands of
the state from the danger of fire.

These boys were made Rangers through the influence of Mr. Boone, and had
been in the woods about a month, where they had some stirring
adventures, meeting an old hermit who has helped them, and making
enemies of a half-breed guide, Jean LeBlanc, and a rascally ex-deputy
Ranger, Anderson by name, who was supplanted by Nate Webster, a
warm-hearted old Maine guide and a firm friend of the boys.

Among their adventures was the rescue of little Patty Graham, child of a
rich broker who was camping in the woods, from the half-breed LeBlanc.
As a reward for their brave deed, Mr. Graham presented them with a
specially made wireless telephone outfit, complete with home station and
compact carrying 'phones.

Now that we know who our heroes are, let us hear what the Customs Chief
has to tell them.

"As I told you boys yesterday, this is our problem. We know that
somewhere along the border, there is a regular smugglers' lane, where
valuable shipments of seal and other furs have been smuggled into the
United States with consequently a great loss of duty to the customs
house. Now it is impossible for our men to find anything out, and if I
get men from Washington, they don't know anything about the woods, so
there you are.

"Now I think you boys can go up there, and by acting as campers, or even
in your role of Rangers, you may find out just the things my agents have
been unable to unearth. Ordinarily I wouldn't think of sending boys on
this job, but