d, too!"

"I like William for taking such good care of them," said Mary. "I saw him
coming up here yesterday with his garden tools."

"William!" cried Virginia gladly. "Why, William's _always_ been next best
to Jim!"

CHAPTER XI

"EVER VIGILANT"

"There's no reason in the world why more than three of us should go back,"
said Virginia. "I know just exactly where she left it. It's on the table
just back of the jars of raspberries. All right, Vivian, if you insist and
are sure you're not too tired. It's all of six miles there and back, you
know. It's not a bit necessary, Carver, but we'd love to have you come if
you want to. Sagebrush Point, Don--at the open place? All right, we'll be
there."

"Be sure to make the Canyon Path before dusk," warned Donald. "It's bad
there, you know. Signals all right? Better take my revolver. Malcolm has
his."

Virginia examined the revolver before securing the holster to her saddle.

"Two, if we need you; three, if everything's all right. You probably won't
hear either. We'll see you by six o'clock. Good luck!"

She turned Pedro, and, followed by Carver and Vivian, rode back up the
trail, while the others kept on down the mountain side toward Sagebrush
Point where they were to meet Malcolm and Aunt Nan.

They had ridden far up Bear Canyon, miles beyond the farthest bear-trap,
to the Forest Ranger's cabin. The trail was wilder than six of them had
ever imagined a trail could be. Sometimes it was almost obliterated, but
the blaze of the rangers with its U.S. brand told them that human beings
had traversed it, and that they might safely follow. At noon they had
reached the cabin--a lonely eyrie looking down into the gorge of the
river. Behind it unbroken forests stretched for miles.

The ranger was away upon his beat, but his door stood hospitably open, and
they had gladly entered, sure that a welcome was intended. In his little
kitchen they had eaten dinner, leaving some of their bacon as a gift. Then
an idea had seized Aunt Nan. Why not pick some of the raspberries which
grew in profusion near by, and cook a quart of them as winter preserves
for the ranger? It did not take very long for nine pair of hands to pick
three quarts instead of one, and within an hour, sugar having been found
in the pantry, the berries were cooking on the little stove. Jars, too,
were discovered, and at three o'clock when the boys had brought the
horses, five cooks in khaki surveyed their gift w