s yours?"

"Chatworth's my name. I'm the warden up here, and, not having a permit
to have a fire in the forest, you'll have to hit the lumber trail for
the open country."

"Nothing doing! You will have to dope out something better than that to
induce us to leave," grinned Hippy.

Grace demanded to know where the ranger got his authority for stating
that they should have a fire permit.

"It's my authority!" he answered brusquely.

"Who told you to assume such authority?" interjected Miss Briggs in the
calm judicial voice that was hers when trying a lawsuit.

"I'm not answering fool questions. You heard what I said. Are you
going?"

"Well--yes, of course we are going, but it may be a month or two before
we do go. If you will kindly give me your address I'll drop you a
picture card later on, telling you when we expect to leave the Big North
Woods," drawled Lieutenant Wingate.

"Hippy, I do not believe that Mr. Chatworth fully understands who and
what we are," interjected Grace. "We take such trips as this one every
summer, sir, and we are not greenhorns in the forest. We realize the
danger of fire to the forests as fully as well as you do. For your
information, I will merely say that we were in no wise to blame for the
fire at Section Forty-three. A tree fell over and scattered the embers
of our campfire, thus starting the forest fire and--"

"All the more reason why you're not fit to be in the woods," answered
the ranger roughly.

"Cut the rough talk!" admonished Lieutenant Wingate severely. "Had it
not been for us that blaze would have swept the whole state. We fought
it all night and until nearly noon next day. Stop growling! If you keep
on growling the bear and my bull pup will think you are an animal and
sail into you for keeps."

"As I was about to say," reminded Grace, "my husband is a forester and
is in the North Woods now on official business. He was with us when the
fire occurred, and will join us further along in a few weeks."

"Eh? What's his name?" demanded the ranger sharply, eyeing Grace with
new interest in his eyes.

"Tom Gray," answered Grace.

"Is he the fellow that's cruising the timber up here for the state?"

"Yes."

"Humph! Why didn't you say so before?"

"I presume because you did not ask me," returned Grace demurely. "Now
that you understand, won't you please sit down and have breakfast with
us? We have plenty and really shall be glad to have you."

"Well, I reckon I might a