inutes to the hour
now. If Willie is listening in, we'll soon know whether or not our aerial
will work."

They began putting the tent in order, stowing the duffel in neat little
piles. Just outside the tent Lew built a foundation for the alcohol stove,
by leveling the earth and setting a flat stone for the stove to stand on.
Meanwhile, Charley was stuffing the tick with dry leaves.

Exactly on the hour Lew sat down at the wireless key and sent a call
flashing into the air. Promptly; his receiver buzzed in response.

"Got him," said Lew, and while Charley went on filling the tick and
bringing in hemlock branches to use like springs under the tick, Lew
conversed with Willie. The latter was still working at the new wireless
set, and had listened in every hour during the day. All the other members
of the Wireless Patrol were likewise hard at work, and it was practically
certain that by the time the vacation was ended each would have earned his
share of the money needed to buy the desired battery.

"I can't tell you where our camp is," rapped out Lew, "because that is a
secret that we are not supposed to tell. The forester does not want
anybody to know that Charley is employed by the forestry department. We
are posing as fishermen. Tell the fellows not to talk about Charley and
tell Charley's father the forester does not want it known for a time that
Charley is a fire patrol. He thinks that we have a better chance to find
things out if it is not known that we are connected with the forestry
department."

Willie said that he would caution the boys and tell Mr. Russell. Also he
said he would be in his workshop until supper time and would listen in
most of the time. The club members would be at their instruments as usual
to catch the time from Arlington and pick up some of the news. Lew
replied that he would call Willie then, if he needed him.

For some time after Lew laid down the receivers, the two boys worked
silently. They finished setting the hemlock branches in the earth, placed
the stuffed ticking above them, and laid their blankets in position. They
brought the wireless outfit into the tent and set the instruments in a
corner. The grub was stacked in another corner. A little pool was dug in
the stream just below the spring, to make a place for washing dishes.
Their extra clothes were hung on the ridge-rope. The first-aid kit was
fastened to the tent wall where it would be handy, and Charley put the
permanganate an