ng unprotected in that manner. As a matter of
fact, the border line was but poorly guarded, as the meagre
appropriation by the Legislature did not allow every foot of the country
to be taken care of in the manner that it should.

This announcement by Garry increased the respect of the old man for
them.

"Yes, sir, boys," he said, "that's one of the biggest things that's been
done in this State for many a long year. I tell you, I've lived in these
woods all my life, and that's more than sixty years, and I love these
great trees. They all seem like so many friends to me. Of course I know
that they must be sacrificed for the good of mankind, but it makes me
sad when I think of the way the paper mill people have gone through mile
after mile of timber land, cutting it clean of every tree. Course they
should take only the big trees, that have grown old like men, and have
almost outlived their good on earth. But to cut down young trees, it's
just like killing young boys. To the paper mill people it only means
just so much more pulp. Then the fires that are so often caused by
careless campers and hunters. Yes, sir, it's sure a crime, and it's a
fine thing for boys as young as you to know about these things and help
fight the evils. But there's one thing that's been a puzzling me. What
did you ask about smugglers for?"

"Why, it was partly curiosity, and partly because we heard that there
was considerable smuggling in this part of the country, it being so near
to the Canadian border line," said Garry cautiously. Then, carefully
choosing his words, he went on:

"And if we did find evidence of any, we being in a branch of the State
service, it would be our duty as good American citizens to run it down
as far as possible and bring the smugglers to justice. Don't you think
it would?" he concluded, looking sharply at old Dud.

"Yes sir," shot out the old gum hunter emphatically, and somewhat to the
surprise of Garry, who had put the question merely to see what side the
old timer would take. "I believe in upholding the laws of the land. I
came from a family that has done that always. My Daddy fought in the
Mexican War, and he was killed in Shiloh during the Civil War. I didn't
tell 'em just the truth about my age in the Spanish War, and so I was in
that myself; but they knew I was stretching the truth a little when I
tried to get in the big scrap in 1917. Ain't never one of our family
done anything but uphold the law the way she