The Ranger Boys Outwit the Timber Thieves

a moment. Then Garry delivered himself of

f the irreparable financial loss that will be caused to Dad, not only from the penalties for failure to live up to his contracts, but the money loss from the stolen timber will mount up well into the hundreds I am afraid. Now we must put a stop to this thing. I believe that I will go out tomo

ept that which has been waiting to be transported. In the meantime, if, as your father is led to believe, this whole matter is a move on the part of the big interests to crush him in the lumber business, the firing of the present manager and crew will have little effect. Your dad evidently trusted Barrows, else he would not have sent him here. If he is guilty, you may be sure that the enemy, for such we must call them, made it mighty well worth his while to turn traitor. What is to prevent the next manager from being affected in the same way? And even if a trustworthy manager were secured, the big interests can always bribe enough of the laborers to do all the necessary damage that would be required to spoil the season. My advice is to lay low for a few days and get evidence that will get the 'man higher up,' the one who is the instigator of th

len timber. I think I can hitch up a few things Barrows has tried to dissuade us from doing, and a certa

one of two things, I believe; either show him up for a crook, or else show that he is straight and start him investigating th

red haired cookee appeared at the shack and told him that

okee sauntered off, and Howells look

little while ago. Well, there's no use in wondering. I'm off to see his Ro

fice and left the boys to tal

ou said that you had a hunch abou

ming, fishing and all that, and has done everything that he can do to discourage us from going near the big lake. I have let him believe that we to

enough to play the old trick used by

n?" queried Garry with a p

o do, figuring that the people will be on the watch for a trick, and will be so busy trying to find the hidden t

been discouraging us about the big lake for the very purpose of making us go there r

exactly," r

oth lakes. Suppose that we take a little trip today to the small one, and then tomorrow night we will hustle over to the big one after the camp has turned in for the n

bout to set out for the office, when Howells appeared on the scene. Rage and disapp

k as though you had bad new

have proof enough that Barrows is a crook from the word go. I have been discharg

lieve you, what's it

of timber I had reported was cut had not been delivered. Immediately I knew that he was on to the fact that I was aware of the shortage and was spiking my guns before I could do or say anything. Now I know that I have accurately measured all the timber that was cut in this tract. I was at school long enough to le

er is being stolen, and he wants to cover it up. I hope you did not connect us in an

I kept my head that

I suppose, though, we could hire you as a guide and keep y

rom some of the railway stations near here where timber is being shipped from, and in that way we could get a line on where it is going. Then you chaps on the inside can browse about a bit and find out how it is stolen. Between us we can secure evidence that will uncover the whole plot. I'm going out now, before they get onto the fact that we have had time to talk things over. In the meantime,

unnage. The boys watched his departure sadly, for they had counted

nything-we will take a little trip to the small lake, Kanamo Lake I think they call it; Dutton is the name of the big one, and start our search there. We will simply say that we are going

narrowly as they came

mation about Kanamo Lake," said

't done anything since we got here but watch the timber cutting, and that isn't a novelty any longer. What we especially wan

nd then there will be plenty of boats and few fish. That's generally the way." The manager talked heartily as though relieved that the conversation had taken the turn that it had, and perhaps because of the information that the boys were going to get away from the camp. It was likely that he had expected some questioning because of the discharge of the scaler. Evidently thinking over the matter, he decided something in his mind, and turning to Garry, remarked casually: "I had hoped that the arrival of the sca

nd retired early to their shack. They got to sleep early, as they expected a strenuous day on t

ssing, Dick uttered an

, Dick, lose a but

nice knife with my name on

worry, as you have your sensible scout knife that will

ome supplies with which to cook a luncheon at the lake, they heard the cook and his helper talkin

o be called by the cook and set to doing some necessary task toward the getting of breakfast. This uneasiness on the part of the cookee mad

and the chums at once began to question him regarding the ca

men found him snooping around the office last night, and after locking him up, woke me up and told me about him. After I eat I a

ad posted the notices for the section bosses for the day, they went to the storehouse, which was the most solid looking building in th

d throwing open the door, call

ee if they were right in their guess that Le

. There was a shuffling sound as of some one getting up, and