g else and handled
it well. It is plain that you love the forest and understand as much about
its needs as any ranger I have. A little experience is all you need to
make a first-class ranger. I'll give the men a talking to. When I get
done, they'll know it won't pay to monkey with you, even if you are only a
high school boy. Now, Ranger Russell, I think we had better turn in and
get some sleep, for we'll have to pull foot early to-morrow."

Chapter XXI

A Trouble Maker

Pull foot early they did, too. Charley himself was no sluggard, but the
forester's capacity for work simply amazed him. He knew the forester was
on the job late every night, for he reported to him each night the last
thing before he went to bed. Yet whenever the forester spent the night
with Charley, Mr. Marlin was up at an early hour; and the present occasion
proved no exception.

Mr. Marlin had never said much about himself to Charley, and no one else
had happened to do so; but Mr. Marlin had worked himself up from the
ranks. He had been a fire patrol and later a ranger, and then had attended
the state forestry school, as the other district foresters had done.

His unusual training, great diligence, intelligence, and untiring energy
had made him one of the ablest men in the service. By sheer ability he had
won for himself the oversight of this district, which was one of the most
important in the entire million acres of state forest lands.

Hardly was the forester afoot this morning before he had a fire going and
breakfast cooking. Before breakfast was ready, the two forest guardians
began to strike camp. Charley took down his wireless and stowed it as
compactly as possible. The tent was lowered and rolled up. Everything was
gotten into portable shape, and as soon as breakfast was over, the dishes
were washed and they, too, were added to the bundles.

"I don't care to let anybody know where your camp was," said the forester.
"I may want to use this site again. So we'll have to pack our stuff out
ourselves, at least part of the way. I am going to put a crew of men in
here to-morrow and they can finish carrying out the duffel if we cave in
before we reach the road. It will be a pretty good load."

Each of them strapped a big pack to his back. The rifle and the
fishing-rod had been fastened to the battery, which in turn was roped to
poles for handles. In this way it was possible for the two to carry all
Charley's outfit. By sun-up the two