The Ranger Boys Outwit the Timber Thieves

tongues. The hermit stood there blinking in the sunlig

Garry

t. Where did

d at the boys

this man?" he

great aid to us in our work on the fire patrol," added Garry. Immediately he could have kicked hi

ows, turning to the hermit. "Trying to steal somethin

vouch for him personally. It is probable that he came here to visit us, and was wandering about when your

this camp, young man. I am not satisfied with his presence here, and it is my intention to have him taken to town a

ample warning that if my word is doubted in this matter, and this old man, who is as harmless as a rabbit, is not freed immediately, I will go to town this morning and take steps that will cause your instant removal from this camp. I have neve

decide just who had the upper hand in the situation.

unnage and get ready to

a word, and were starting for the shack when

the old man will go

s enraged at the turn affairs had taken. What made him still angrier was the fact that the cook

make the best o

u to remember that I am always trying to protect your father's interests here; that is what he pays me for

sake of future peace and freedom from int

ed. He lives near a tract of wild land where we patrolled early this summer, and was very decent to us, tanning skins of animals that we shot, and leaving us rabbits for eating. It is a pet trick of his to

gingly and then march

rted for their customary tasks, the boys eagerly asked the hermi

some men talking, and crept up to listen to them. They were just getting ready to leave and all I heard was a man saying that his brother would soon be there and that he would know how to deal with those spies. I couldn't get a

ce the same thought leaped into the minds of all three. Man with an accent, heavily built and strong appear

LeBl

the name of their

u speak of LeBlanc?"

the way, we must guard ourselves every minute. And we must make every moment count, for once he gets here he will make strenuous efforts to get us in trouble,

of the hermit. "It would cause trouble to you boys

man that had lived the greater part of his life in the deep woods, far removed from all human be

d man was wise in his conclusions,

or the coming of LeBlanc. I will guarantee that I will not be captured again. I was too sure of myself last night, since I did not know that the camp was full of night spies, who held rendezvous in the dark of the night. I will warn you in t

end the old recluse, "and that is go to the nearest town and mail a letter for us. There is no one in the camp now that I would trust with a message, a

ing him in guarded words, that he had several clues that properly trailed down would soon lead to the unmasking of the traitors in the camp. He folded

they walk a few hundred yards out of the camp with him, so that they might select a spot

ourney, while the boys returned to the office to tell the manager, as they had agreed to do, about the hermit's leaving. When Barrows heard their story he seemed relieved and

could have persuaded him that it was all a mistake," but

s tell you that we are used to making camp wherever we happen to be, and so will be all right. I only wish there was a canoe on the lak

which to calk the seams, and the task of dragging the lumber to the water would be almost

ussed the way in which Barrows was continually bringing into the co

t father to the thought?" asked Garry. "I don't remember ever saying any

At any rate, let's not worry about that for awhile. We

the sound of approaching footsteps, took wing and flew away from the cover where they had been hiding. The sound of the birds brought to the minds of the trio the sad thought of the missing

of the lumberjacks, perhaps that chap that took us coon hunting, recognized the value of Sandy and stole him, determined to sell him and make a few dish

hatting merrily of many things, they

re was no circus at the end of the trail to lure him on to greater speed. However, Dick smelled adventure in

ost part it was surrounded by trees, thick and green. At the end of the trail was a slig

he lake with his field glasses, which he had brought along, and could see nothing other than an unbroken expanse of forest. Far down at the end of the lake was a sligh

s opinion, and Phil then came

with fish, we are apt to excite suspicion in the mind of Barrows, and set him asking us questions as to wha

red Garry. "Now for a swim,

sed were they to speedy disrobing, that all

nquired Dick, as he splashed about in the water. "Bet you fellows anything I've got again

rry, for Dick was an expert swimmer, much better than either of

and with two against one, wa

earness of the water and the fine sandy bottom. They got a stone and amused themselves by throwing it some distance and then swimming under water after it and recovering it. They had been doing this for some moments, when suddenly Garry, thinking that Dick, with his speed, had been gone long enough to h

each other in the water, and it was a strict regu

. They had made less than fifty yards, when bor

he looked toward the spot that had been Dick's goal when he swam aw