I。CHOOSINGAPROFESSION
Ilovedoutdoorlifeandhunting。SomewayagrizzlybearwouldcomeinwhenItriedtoexplainforestrytomybrother。
"Huntinggrizzlies！"hecried。"Why，Ken，fathersaysyou’vebeenreadingdimenovels。"
"Justwait，Hal，tillhecomesouthere。I’llshowhimthatforestryisn’tjustbear—hunting。"
MybrotherHalandIwerecampingafewdaysontheSusquehannaRiver，andwehaddividedthetimebetweenfishingandtramping。OurcampwasontheedgeofaforestsomeeightmilesfromHarrisburg。Thepropertybelongedtoourfather，andhehadpromisedtodriveouttoseeus。Buthedidnotcomethatday，andIhadtocontentmyselfwithwinningHalovertomyside。
"Ken，ifthegovernorletsyougotoArizonacan’tyouringmein？"
"Notthissummer。I’dbeafraidtoaskhim。ButinanotheryearI’lldoit。"
"Won’titbegreat？Butwhatalongtimetowait！Itmakesmesicktothinkofyououtthereridingmustangsandhuntingbearsandlions。"
"You’llhavetostandit。You’reprettymuchofakid，Hal——notyetfourteen。Besides，I’vegraduated。"
"Kid！"exclaimedHal，hotly。"You’renotsuchaMethuselahyourself！I’mnearlyasbigasyou。Icanrideaswellandplayballaswell，andIcanbeatyouall——"
"Holdon，Hal！Iwantyoutohelpmetopersuadefather，andifyougetyourtemperupyou’lllikeasnotgoagainstme。IfheletsmegoI’llbringyouinassoonasIdare。That’sapromise。IguessIknowhowmuchI’dliketohaveyou。"
"Allright，"repliedHal，resignedly。"I’llhavetoholdin，Isuppose。ButI’mcrazytogo。And，Ken，thecowboysandlionsarenotallthatinterestme。Ilikewhatyoutellmeaboutforestry。Butwhoeverheardofforestryasaprofession？"
"It’sjustthisway，Hal。Thenaturalresourceshavegottobeconserved，andtheGovernmentistryingtoenlistintelligentyoungmeninthework——
particularlyinthedepartmentofforestry。I’mnotexaggeratingwhenIsaytheprosperityofthiscountrydependsuponforestry。"
IhavetoadmitthatIwasrepeatingwhatIhadread。
"Whydoesit？Tellmehow，"demandedHal。
"Becausethelumbermenarewipingoutallthetimberandneverthinkingofthefuture。Theyareinsuchahurrytogetrichthatthey’llleavetheirgrandchildrenonlyadesert。Theycutandslashineverydirection，andthenfirescomeandthecountryisruined。Ourriversdependupontheforestsforwater。Thetreesdrawtherain;theleavesbreakitupandletitfallinmistsanddrippings;itseepsintotheground，andisheldbytheroots。Ifthetreesaredestroyedtherainrushesoffonthesurfaceandfloodstherivers。Theforestsstoreupwater，andtheydogoodinotherways。"
"We’vegottohavewoodandlumber，"saidHal。
"Ofcoursewehave。Buttherewon’tbeanyunlesswegoinforforestry。
It’sbeenpracticedinGermanyforthreehundredyears。"
Wespentanotherhourtalkingaboutit，andifHal’spracticalsense，whichheinheritedfromfather，hadnotbeenoffsetbyhisreallovefortheforestsIshouldhavebeendiscouraged。Halwasofanindustriousturnofmind;hemeanttomakemoney，andanythingthatwasgoodbusinessappealedstronglytohim。But，finally，hebegantoseewhatIwasdrivingat;headmittedthattherewassomethingintheargument。
Thelateafternoonwasthebesttimeforfishing。Forthenexttwohoursourthoughtswereofquiveringrodsandleapingbass，"You’llmissthebigbassthisAugust，"remarkedHal，laughing。"Guessyouwon’thaveallthesport。"
"That’sso，Hal，"Ireplied，regretfully。"Butwe’retalkingasifitwereadeadsurethingthatI’mgoingWest。Well，Ionlyhopeso。"
WhatHalandIlikedbestaboutcamping——ofcourseafterthefishing——wastositaroundthecampfire。Tonightitwasmorepleasantthanever，andwhendarknessfullysettleddownitwaseventhrilling。Wetalkedaboutbears。ThenHaltoldofmountain—lionsandthehabittheyhaveofcreepingstealthilyafterhunters。Therewasahoot—owlcryingdismallyupinthewoods，anddownbytheedgeoftheriverbright—greeneyespeeredatusfromthedarkness。Whenthewindcameupandmoanedthroughthetreesitwasnothardtoimaginewewereoutinthewilderness。ThishadbeenafavoritegameforHalandme;onlytonightthereseemedsomerealityaboutit。FromthewayHalwhispered，andlistened，andlooked，hemightverywellhavebeenexpectingavisitfromlionsor，forthatmatter，evenfromIndians。Finallywewenttobed。Butourslumberswerebroken。Haloftenhadnightmaresevenonordinarynights，andonthisonehemoanedsomuchandthrashedaboutthetentsodesperatelythatIknewthelionswereafterhim。
Idreamedofforestlandswithsnow—cappedpeaksrisinginthebackground;
Idreamedofelkstandingontheopenridges，ofwhite—taileddeertroopingoutofthehollows，ofantelopebrowsingonthesageattheedgeoftheforests。Herewasthebroadtrackofagrizzlyinthesnow;thereonasunnycraglayatawnymountain—lionasleep。Thebronzedcowboycameinforhisshare，andthelonebanditplayedhispartinawaytomakemeshiver。
Thegreatpines，theshady，browntrails，thesunlitglades，wereasrealtomeasifIhadbeenamongthem。Mostvividofallwasthelonelyforestatnightandthecampfire。Iheardthesputteroftheredembersandsmelledthewoodsmoke;IpeeredintothedarkshadowswatchingandlisteningforIknewnotwhat。
Onthenextdayearlyintheafternoonfatherappearedontheriverroad。
"Thereheis，"criedHal。"He’sdrivingBilly。Howhe’scoming"
Billywasfather’sfastesthorse。Itpleasedmeimmenselytoseethepace，forfatherwouldnothavebeendrivingfastunlesshewereinaparticularlygoodhumor。AndwhenhestoppedonthebankabovecampIcouldhaveshouted。Heworehiscorduroysasifhewerereadyforoutdoorlife。
TherewasasmileonhisfaceashetiedBilly，and，comingdown，hepokedintoeverythingincampandaskedinnumerablequestions。HaltalkedaboutthebassuntilIwasafraidhewouldwanttogofishingandpostponeourforestrytrampinthewoods。Butpresentlyhespokedirectlytome。
"Well，Kenneth，areyougoingtocomeoutwiththetruthaboutthatWild—Westschemeofyours？Nowthatyou’vegraduatedyouwantafling。Youwanttoridemustangs，toseecowboys，tohuntandshoot——allthatsortofthing。"
Whenfatherspokeinsuchawayitusuallymeantthedefeatofmyschemes。
Igrewcoldallover。
"Yes，father，I’dlikeallthat——ButImeanbusiness。Iwanttobeaforestranger。LetmegotoArizonathissummer。AndinthefallI’d——I’dliketogotoaschoolofforestry。"
There！thetruthwasout，andmyfeelingsweredividedbetweenreliefandfear。BeforefathercouldreplyIlaunchedintoasetspeechuponforestry，andtalkedtillIwasoutofbreath。
"There’ssomethinginwhatyousay，"repliedmyfather。"You’vebeenreadinguponthesubject？"
"EverythingIcouldget，andI’vebeentryingtoapplymyknowledgeinthewoods。Ilovethetrees。I’dloveanoutdoorlife。Butforestrywon’tbeanypicnic。Arangermustbeabletorideandpack，maketrailandcamp，livealoneinthewoods，fightfireandwildbeasts。Oh！It’dbegreat！"
"Idaresay，"saidfather，dryly;"particularlytheridingandshooting。
Well，Iguessyou’llmakeagood—enoughdoctortosuitme。"
"Givemeasquaredeal，"Icried，jumpingup。"Mayn’tIhaveonewordtosayaboutmyfuture？Wouldn’tyouratherhavemehappyandsuccessfulasaforester，evenifthereisdanger，thanjustanordinary，poordoctor？Let’sgooverourwoodland。I’llprovethatyouarelettingyourforestrundown。
You’vegotsixtyacresofhardwoodsthatoughttobebringingaregularincome。IfIcan’tproveit，ifIcan’tinterestyou，I’llagreetostudymedicine。ButifIdoyou’retoletmetryforestry。"
"Well，Kenneth，that’safairproposition，"returnedfather，evidentlysurprisedatmyearnestness"Comeon。We’llgoupinthewoods。Hal，I
supposehe’swonyouover？"
"Ken’sgotabigthinginmind，"repliedHal，loyally"It’sjustsplendid。"
Ineversawthelong，black—fringedlineoftreeswithoutjoyinthepossessionofthemandadesiretobeamongthem。Thesixtyacresoftimberlandcoveredthewholeofaswampyvalley，spreadoverarollinghillslopingdowntotheglisteningriver。
"Now，son？goahead，"saidmyfather，asweclamberedoverarailfenceandsteppedintotheedgeofshade……
"Well，father——"Ibegan，haltingly，andcouldnotcollectmythoughts。
Thenwewereinthecoolwoods。Itwasverystill，therebeingonlyafaintrustlingofleavesandthemellownoteofahermit—thrush。Thedeepshadowswerelightenedbyshaftsofsunshinewhich，hereandthere，managedtopiercethecanopyoffoliage。Somehow，thefeelingrousedbythesethingsloosenedmytongue。
"Thisisanoldhard—woodforest，"Ibegan。"Muchofthewhiteoak，hickory，ash，maple，isvirgintimber。Thesetreeshavereachedmaturity;
manyaredeadatthetops;allofthemshouldhavebeencutlongago。Theymaketoodenseashadefortheseedlingstosurvive。Lookatthatbunchofsaplingmaples。Seehowtheyreachup，tryingtogettothelight。Theyhaven’tabranchlowdownandthetopsarethin。Yetmapleisoneofourhardiesttrees。Growthhasbeensuppressed。Doyounoticetherearenosmalloaksorhickoriesjusthere？Theycan’tliveindeepshade。Here’sthestumpofawhiteoakcutlastfall。Itwasabouttwofeetindiameter。
Let’scounttheringstofinditsage——aboutninetyyears。Itflourishedinitsyouthandgrewrapidly，butithadahardtimeafteraboutfiftyyears。
Atthattimeitwaseitherburned，ormutilatedbyafallingtree，orstruckbylightning。"
"Now，howdoyoumakethatout？"askedfather，intenselyinterested。
"Seethefree，wideringsfromthepithouttoaboutnumberforty—five。Thetreewashealthyuptothattime。Thenitmetwithaninjuryofsomekind，asisindicatedbythisblackscar。Afterthattheringsgrewnarrower。Thetreestruggledtolive。"
WewalkedonwithmetalkingasfastasIcouldgetthewordsout。Ishowedfatheragiant，bushychestnutwhichwasdominatingallthetreesaroundit，andtoldhimhowitretardedtheirgrowth。Ontheotherhand，theothertreeswereabsorbingnutritionfromthegroundthatwouldhavebenefitedthechestnut。
"There’sasinfulwasteofwoodhere，"Isaid，asweclimbedoverandaroundthewindfallsandrottingtree—trunks。"Theoldtreesdieandareblowndown。Theamountofrottingwoodequalstheyearlygrowth。Now，I
wanttoshowyoutheworstenemiesofthetrees。Here’sabigwhiteoak，ahundredandfiftyyearsold。It’salmostdead。Seethelittleholesboredinthebark。Theyweremadebyabeetle。Look！"
Iswungmyhatchetandsplitoffasectionofbark。Everywhereinthebarkandroundthetreeranlittledust—filledgrooves。Ipriedoutanumberoftinybrownbeetles，somewhattheshapeofapinching—bug，onlyverymuchsmaller。
"There！You’dhardlythinkthatthatgreattreewaskilledbyalotoflittlebugs，wouldyou？Theygirdlethetreesandpreventthesapfromflowing。"
Ifoundanoldchestnutwhichcontainednestsofthedeadlywhitemoths，andexplainedhowitlaiditseggs，andhowthecaterpillarsthatcamefromthemkilledthetreesbyeatingtheleaves。Ishowedhowmiceandsquirrelsinjuredtheforestbyeatingtheseeds。
"FirstI’dcutandsellallthematuredanddeadtimber。ThenI’dthinoutthespreadingtreesthatwantallthelight，andthesaplingsthatgrowtooclosetogether。I’dgetridofthebeetles，andtrytocheckthespreadofcaterpillars。Fortreesgrowtwiceasfastiftheyarenotchokedordiseased。
ThenI’dkeepplantingseedsandshootsintheopenplaces，takingcaretofavorthespeciesbestadaptedtothesoil，andcuttingthosethatdon’tgrowwell。Inthiswaywe’llbekeepingourforestwhiledoublingitsgrowthandvalue，andhavingayearlyincomefromit。"
"Kenneth，Iseeyou’reindeadearnestaboutthisbusiness，"saidmyfather，slowly。"BeforeIcameoutheretodayIhadbeenlookingupthesubject，andIbelieve，withyou，thatforestryreallymeansthesalvationofourcountry。Ithinkyouarereallyinterested，andI’veamindnottoopposeyou。"
"You’llneverregretit。I’lllearn;I’llworkup。Thenit’sanoutdoorlife——healthy，free——why！alltheboysI’vetoldtaketotheidea。There’ssomethingfineaboutit。""Forestryitis，then，"repliedhe。"Ilikethepromiseofit，andIlikeyourattitude。Ifyouhavelearnedsomuchwhileyouwerecampingoutherethepastfewsummersitspeakswellforyou。ButwhydoyouwanttogotoArizona？"
"BecausethebestchancesareoutWest。I’dliketogetalineontheNationalForeststherebeforeIgotocollege。Theworkwillbedifferent;
thoseWesternforestsareallpine。I’veafriend，DickLeslie，afellowI
usedtofishwith，whowentWestandisnowafirerangerinthenewNationalForestinArizona——Penetieristhenameofit。Hehaswrittenmeseveraltimestocomeoutandspendawhilewithhiminthewoods。"
"Penetier？Whereisthat——nearwhattown？"
"Holston。It’saprettyroughcountry，Dicksays;plentyofdeer，bears，andlionsonhisrange。SoIcouldhuntsomewhilestudyingtheforests。I
thinkI’dbesafewithDick，evenifitiswildoutthere。"
"Allright，I’llletyougo。Whenyoureturnwe’llseeaboutthecollege。"
Thenhesurprisedmebydrawingaletterfromhispocketandhandingittome。"Myfriend，Mr。White，gotthisletterfromthedepartmentatWashington。Itmaybeofusetoyououtthere。"
Soitwassettled，andwhenfatherdroveoffhomewardHalandIwentbacktocamp。Itwouldhavebeenhardtosaywhichofuswasthemoreexcited。
Haldidawardanceroundthecampfire。Iwasglad，however，thathedidnothavethelittletwingeofremorsewhichIexperienced，forIhadnottoldhimorfatherallthatDickhadwrittenaboutthewildernessofPenetier。Iamafraidmymindwasasmuchoccupiedwithriflesandmustangsaswiththestudyofforestry。But，thoughtheadventurecalledmoststronglytome，IknewIwassincereabouttheforestryendofit，andI
resolvedthatIwouldneverslightmyopportunities。So，smotheringconscience，Ifelltothedelightofmakingplans。Iwasforbreakingcampatonce，butHalpersuadedmetostayonemoreday。Wetalkedforhours。
Onlyonethingbotheredme。Halwasjollyandglumbyturns。Hereveledintheplansformyoutfit，buthewantedhisownchance。AthousandtimesI
hadtorepeatmypromise，andthelastthinghesaidbeforewesleptwas：
"Ken，you’regoingtoringmeinnextsummer！"
II。THEMANONTHETRAIN
Travellingwasanewexperiencetome，andonthefirstnightafterIlefthomeIlayawakeuntilwereachedAltoona。WerolledoutofsmokyPittsburgatdawn，andfromthenontheonlybitterdropinmycupofblisswasthatthetrainwentsofastIcouldnotseeeverythingoutofmywindow。
Fourdaystoride！ThegreatMississippitocross，theplains，theRockyMountains，thentheArizonaplateaus—along，longjourneywithawildpineforestattheend！Iwonderedwhatmoreanyyoungfellowcouldhavewished。
WithmyfacegluedtothecarwindowIwatchedthelevelcountryspeedby。
Thereappearedtobeonecontinuousprocessionofwell—cultivatedfarms，littlehamlets，andprosperoustowns。Whatinterestedmemost，ofcourse，werethefarms，forallofthemhadsomekindofwood。Wepassedazoneofmapleforestswhichlookedtobemorecarefullykeptthantheothers。ThenIrecognizedthattheyweremaple—sugartrees。Thefarmershadcleanedouttheotherspecies，andthisprimitivemethodofforestryhadproducedthefinestmaplesithadeverbeenmygood—fortunetosee。IndianawasflatterthanOhio，notsowellwatered，andthereforelessheavilytimbered。Isaw，withregret，thatthewoodlandwasbeingcutregularly，treeaftertree，andstackedincordsforfirewood。
AtChicagoIwastochangeforSantaFe，andfindingmytraininthestationIclimbedaboard。Mycarwasatouristcoach。FatherhadinsistedonbuyingaticketfortheCaliforniaLimited，butIhadarguedthataluxuriousPullmanwasnotexactlythethingforaprospectiveforester。
StillIpocketedtheextramoneywhichIhadassuredhimheneednotspendforthefirst—classticket。
Thehugestation，withitsglaringlightsandclangingbells，andtheoutspreadingcity，soongaveplacetoprairieland。
ThatnightIsleptlittle，buttheverytimeIwantedtobeawake——whenwecrossedtheMississippi——Iwasslumberingsoundly，andsomissedit。
"I’llbetIdon’tmissitcomingback，"Ivowed。
ThesightoftheMissouri，however，somewhatrepaidmefortheloss。Whatamuddy，wideriver！AndIthoughtofthethousandsofmilesofcountryitdrained，andoftheforeststheremustbeatitssource。Thencamethenever—endingKansascorn—fields。Idonotknowwhetheritwastheirlengthortheirtreelessmonotony，butIgrewtiredlookingatthem。
FromthenonIbegantotakesomenoticeofmyfellow—travelers。Theconductorprovedtobeanagreeableoldfellow;andthetrain—boy，thoughI
mistrustedhisadvancesbecausehetriedtosellmeeverythingfromchewing—gumtominingstock，turnedouttobeprettygoodcompany。TheNegroporterhadsuchajollyvoiceandlaughthatItalkedtohimwheneverIgotthechance。Thenoccasionalpassengersoccupiedtheseatoppositemefromtowntotown。Theyweremuchalike，allsunburnedandloud—voiced，anditlookedasthoughtheyhadallboughttheirhighbootsandwidehatsatthesameshop。
Thelasttravellertofacemewasaveryheavymanwithagreatbulletheadandashockoflighthair。Hisblueeyeshadaboldflash，hislongmustachedrooped，andtherewassomethingabouthimthatIdidnotlike。Heworeahugediamondinthebosomofhisflannelshirt，andaleatherwatch—chainthatwasthickandstrongenoughtohaveheldupatown—clock。
"Hot，"hesaid，ashemoppedhismoistbrow。
"Notsohotasitwas，"Ireplied。
"Surenot。We’reclimbin’alittle。He’swhistlin’forDodgeCitynow。"
"DodgeCity？"Iechoed，withinterest。Thenamebroughtbackvividscenesfromcertainyellow—backedvolumes，andcertainuncomfortablememoriesofmyfather’sdispleasure。"Isn’tthistheoldcattletownwherethereusedtobesomanyfights？"
"Sure。An’notsoverylongago。Here，lookoutthewindow。"Heclappedhisbighandonmyknee;thenpointed。"Seethathillthere。DeadMan’sHillitwasonce，wheretheyburiedthefellersasdiedwiththeirbootson。"
Istared，andevenstretchedmyneckoutofthewindow。
"Yes，oldDodgewassurelively，"hecontinued，asourtrainpassedon。"I
seenalittlemix—uptheremyselfintheearlyeighties。Fivecow—punchers，friendstheywas，hadbeenvisitin’town。Onefeller，playful—like，takesanotherfeller’squirt——that’sawhip。An’theotherfeller，playful—like，says，’Giveitback。’Thentheytusslesforit，an’rollsontheground。I
waslaughin’，aswaseverybody，when，suddenly，theownerofthequirtthumpshisfriend。Bothcowboysgotup，slow，an’watchin’ofeachother。
Thenthefirstfeller，whohadstartedtheplay，pullshisgun。He’dhardlyflasheditwhentheyallpullsguns，an’itwassomenoisyan’smoky。Inaboutfivesecondstherewasfivedeadcowpunchers。Killedthemselves，asyoumightsay，justforfun。That’swhatlifewasworthinoldDodge。"
AfterthisstoryIfeltmorekindlydisposedwardmytravellingcompanion，andwouldhaveaskedformoreromancesbuttheconductorcamealongandengagedhiminconversation。Thenmyneighboracrosstheaisle，ayoungfellownotmucholderthanmyself，askedmetotalktohim。
"Why，yes，ifyoulike，"Ireplied，insurprise。Hewaspale;therewereredspotsinhischeeks，anddarklinesunderhiswearyeyes。
"Youlooksostrongandeagerthatit’sdonemegoodtowatchyou，"heexplained，withasadsmile。"Yousee——I’msick。"
ItoldhimIwasverysorry，andhopedhewouldgetwellsoon。
"IoughttohavecomeWestsooner，"hereplied，"butIcouldn’tgetthemoney。"
Helookedupatmeandthenoutofthewindowatthesunsettingredacrosstheplains。Itriedtomakehimthinkofsomethingbesidehimself，butI
madeamessofit。Themeetingwithhimwasashocktome。Longafterdark，whenIhadstretchedoutforthenight，IkeptthinkingofhimandcontrastingwhatIhadtolookforwardtowithhisdismalfuture。Somehowitdidnotseemfair，andIcouldnotgetridoftheideathatIwasselfish。
NextdayIhadmyfirstsightofrealmountains。AndthePennsylvaniahills，thatallmylifehadappearedsohigh，dwindledtonothing。AtTrinidad，wherewestoppedforbreakfast，Iwalkedoutontheplatformsniffingatthekeenthinair。WhenwecrossedtheRatonMountainsintoNewMexicothesickboygotoffatthefirststation，andIwavedgood—byetohimasthetrainpulledout。ThenthemountainsandthefunnylittleadobehutsandthePuebloIndiansalongthelinemademeforgeteverythingelse。
Thebigmanwiththeheavywatch—chainwasstillonthetrain，andafterhehadreadhisnewspaperhebegantotalktome。
"Thisroadfollowstheoldtrailthatthegoldseekerstookinforty—nine，"
hesaid。"We’recomin’soontoaplace，ApachePass，wheretheApachesusedtoambushthewagon—trains，It’ssomewheresalonghere。"
Presentlythetrainwoundintoanarrowyellowravine，thewallsofwhichgrewhigherandhigher。
"ThemApacheswastheworstredskinseverintheWest。Theyusedtohideontopofthispassan’shootdownonthewagon—trains。"
Laterinthedayhedrewmyattentiontoamountainstandingallbyitself。
Itwasshapedlikeacone，greenwithtreesalmosttothesummit，andendinginabarestonepeakthathadaflattop。
"StarvationPeak，"hesaid。"Thatname’sthreehundredyearsold，datesbacktothetimetheSpaniardsownedthisland。There’sastoryaboutitthat’slikelytrueenough。SomeSpaniardswereattackedbyIndiansan’
climbedtothepeak，expectin’tobebetterabletodefendthemselvesupthere。TheIndianscampedbelowthepeakan’starvedtheSpaniards。Stucktheretilltheystarvedtodeath！That’swhereitgotitsname。"
"Thosetimesyoutellofmusthavebeengreat，"Isaid，regretfully。"I’dliketohavebeenherethen。Butisn’tthecountryallsettlednow？Aren’ttheIndiansdead？There’snomorefighting？"
"It’snotlikeitusedtobe，butthere’sstillwarmplacesintheWest。
NotthattheIndiansbreakoutoftenanymore。Butbadmenarealmostasbad，ifnotsoplentiful，aswhenBillytheKidruntheseparts。Isawtwomenshotan’anotherknifedjestbeforeIwentEasttoSt。Louis。"
"Where？"
"InArizona。HolstonisthestationwhereIgetoff，an’ithappenednearthere。"
"HolstoniswhereI’mgoing。"
"Youdon’tsay。Well，I’mgladtomeetyou，youngman。Myname’sBuell，an’
I’msomeknowninHolston。What’syourname？"
Heeyedmeinasharpbutnotunfriendlymanner，andseemedpleasedtolearnofmydestination。
"Ward。KennethWard。I’mfromPennsylvania。"
"Youhaven’tgotthebugs。Anyonecanseethat，"hesaid，andasIlookedpuzzledhewentonwithasmile，andasoundingraponhischest："Mostyoungfellersascomeoutherehaveconsumption。Theycallitbugs。I
reckonyou’reseekin’yourfortune。"’
"Yes，inaway。"
"There’sopportunitiesforhuskyyoungstersouthere。What’reyougoin’torustlefor，ifImayask？"
"I’mgoinginforforestry。"
"Forestry？Doyoumeanlumberin’？"
"No。Forestryisrathertheoppositeoflumbering。I’mgoinginforGovernmentforestry——tosavethetimber，notcutit。"
Itseemedtomehegavealittlestartofsurprise;hecertainlystraightenedupandlookedatmehard。
"What’sGovernmentforestry？"
Itoldhimtothebestofmyability。Helistenedattentivelyenough，butthereafterhehadnotanotherwordforme，andpresentlyhewentintothenextcar。ItookhismannertobetheWesternabruptnessthatIhadheardof，andpresentlyforgothiminthesceneryalongtheline。AtAlbuquerqueIgotoffforatriptoalunch—counter，andhappenedtotakeaseatnexttohim。
"KnowanybodyinHolston？"heasked。
AsIcouldnotspeakbecauseofamouthfulofsandwichIshookmyhead。ForthemomentIhadforgottenaboutDickLeslie，andwhenitdidoccurtomesomeIndiansofferingtosellmebeadsstraightwaydroveitoutofmymindagain。
WhenIawokethenextday，itwastoseethesageridgesandredbuttesofArizona。WeweredueatHolstonateighto’clock，butowingtoacrippledenginethetrainwashourslate。AtlastIfellasleeptobeawakenedbyavigorousshake。
"Holston。Yourstop。Holston，"theconductorwassaying。
"Allright，"Isaid，sittingupandthenmakingagrabformygrip。"We’reprettylate，aren’twe？"
"Sixhours。It’stwoo’clock。"
"HopeIcangetaroom，"Isaid，asIfollowedhimoutontheplatform。Hehelduphislanternsothatthelightwouldshineinmyface。"There’sahoteldownthestreetablockorso。Betterhurryandlooksharp。Holston’snotasafeplaceforastrangeratnight。"
Isteppedoffintoawindydarkness。Alampglimmeredinthestationwindow。ByitslightImadeoutseveralmen，theforemostofwhomhadadark，pointedfaceandglitteringeyes。Heworeastrangehat，andIknewfrompicturesIhadseenthathewasaMexican。ThenthebulkyformofBuellloomedup。Icalled，butevidentlyhedidnothearme。Thementookhisgrips，andtheymovedawaytodisappearinthedarkness。WhileI
paused，hopingtoseesomeonetodirectme，thetrainpuffedout，leavingmealoneontheplatform。
WhenIturnedthecornerIsawtwodimlights，onefartotheleft，theothertotheright，andtheblackoutlineofbuildingsunderwhatappearedtobetheshadowofamountain。ItwasthequietestanddarkesttownIhadeverstruck。
Idecidedtoturntowardtheright—handlight，fortheconductorhadsaid"downthestreet。"Isetforthatabriskpace，butthelonelinessandstrangenessoftheplacewereratherdepressing。
BeforeIhadgonemanysteps，however，thesoundofrunningwaterhaltedme，andjustinthenickoftime，forIwaswalkingstraightintoaditch。
BypeeringhardintothedarknessandfeelingmywayIfoundabridge。Thenitdidnottakelongtoreachthelight。Butitwasasaloon，andnotthehotel。Onepeepintoitservedtomakemefaceaboutindouble—quicktime，andhurryintheoppositedirection。
Hearingasoftfootfall，Iglancedovermyshoulder，toseetheMexicanthatIhadnoticedatthestation。Hewascomingfromacrossthestreet。I
wonderedifhewerewatchingme。Hemightbe。Myheartbegantobeatviolently。Turningonceagain，Idiscoveredthatthefellowcouldnotbeseeninthepitchyblackness。ThenIbrokeintoarun。
III。THETRAIL
Ashortdashbroughtmetotheendoftheblock;thesidestreetwasnotsodark，andafterIhadcrossedthisopenspaceIglancedbackward。
SoonIspedintoawancircleoflight，and，reachingadooruponwhichwasahotelsign，Iburstin。Chairswerescatteredaboutabareoffice;amanstirredonacouch，andthensatup，blinking。
"I’mafraid——Ibelievesomeone’schasingme，"Isaid。
Hesatthereeyingme，andthendrawled，sleepily：
"Thetain’tnocalltowakeafeller，isit？"
Themansettledhimselfcomfortablyagain，andclosedhiseyes。
"Say，isn’tthisahotel？Iwantaroom！"Icried。
"Up—stairs;firstdoor。"Andwiththattheporterwenttosleepingoodearnest。
Imadeforthestairs，and，afterabackwardlookintothestreet，Iranup。Asmellylampshedayellowishglarealongahall。Ipushedopenthefirstdoor，and，enteringtheroom，boltedmyselfin。Thenallthestrengthwentoutofmylegs。WhenIsatdownonthebedIwasinacoldsweatandshakinglikealeaf。Soontheweaknesspassed，andImovedabouttheroom，tryingtofindalamporcandle。Evidentlythehotel，and，forthatmatter，thetownofHolston，didnotconcernitselfwithsuchtriflesaslights。OntheinstantIgotabadimpressionofHolston。Ihadtoundressinthedark。WhenIpulledthewindowopenalittleatthetoptheuppersashslidallthewaydown。Imanagedtogetitback，andtriedraisingthelowersash。Itwasveryloose，butitstayedup。ThenIcrawledintobed。
ThoughIwastiredandsleepy，mymindwhirledsothatIcouldnotgettosleep。IfIhadbeenhonestwithmyselfIshouldhavewishedmyselfbackhome。Pennsylvaniaseemedalongwayoff，andtheadventuresthatIhaddreamedofdidnotseemsoalluring，nowthatIwasinalonelyroominalonely，darktown。Buellhadseemedfriendlyandkind——atleast，inthebeginning。Whyhadhenotansweredmycall？Theincidentdidnotlookwelltome。ThenIfelltowonderingiftheMexicanhadreallyfollowedme。Thefirstthingformeinthemorningwouldbetobuyarevolver。ThenifanyMexicans——
Asteponthetinroofoutsidefrightenedmestiff。Ihadnoticedaporch，orshed，undermywindow。Someonemusthaveclimbeduponit。Istoppedbreathingtolisten。Forwhatseemedmomentstherewasnosound。Iwantedtothinkthatthenoisemighthavebeenmadebyacat，butIcouldn’t。I
wasscared——frightenedhalftodeath。
Iftherehadbeenaboltonthewindowthematterwouldnothavebeensodisturbing。Ilaytherea—quiver，eyesuponthegraywindowspaceofmyroom。Deadsilenceoncemoreintervened。AllIheardwasthepoundofmyheartagainstmyribs。
SuddenlyIfrozeatthesightofablackfigureagainstthelightofmywindow。Irecognizedthestrangebat，thegrotesqueoutlines。Iwasabouttoshoutforhelpwhenthefellowreacheddownandsoftlybegantoraisethesash。
Thatmademeangry。Jerkingupinbed，Icaughttheheavypitcherfromthewash—standandflungitwithallmymight。
Crash！
HadIsmashedoutthewholesideoftheroomitcouldscarcelyhavemademorenoise。Accompaniedbytheclinkingofglassandthecreakingoftin，myvisitorrolledofftheroof。Iwaited，expectinganuproarfromtheotherinmatesofthehotel。Nofootstep，nocallsoundedwithinhearing。
Onceagainthestillnesssettleddown。
Then，tomyrelief，thegraygloomlightened，anddawnbroke。NeverhadI
beensogladtoseethemorning。WhiledressingIcastgratifiedglancesattheraggedholeinthewindow。Withthedaylightmycouragehadreturned，andIbegantohaveasortofprideinmyachievement。
"IfthatfellowhadknownhowIcanthrowabaseballhe’dhavebeencareful，"Ithought，alittlecockily。
Iwentdown—stairsintotheoffice。Thesleepyporterwasmoppingthefloor。BehindthedeskstoodamansolargethathemadeBuellseemsmall。
Hewasallshouldersandbeard。
"CanIgetbreakfast？"
"Nobody’sgotahalf—hitchonyou，hasthey？"hereplied，jerkingamonstrousthumboverhisshouldertowardadoor。
Iknewthewordshalf—hitchhadsomethingtodowithalasso，andIwasrathertakenbackbythehotelproprietor’sremark。Thedining—roomwasmoreattractivethananythingIhadyetseenabouttheplace：thelinenwasclean，andthehamandeggsandcoffeethatwerebeingservedtoseveralruggedmengaveforthasavoryodor。Buteitherthewaiterwasblindorhecouldnotbear，forhepaidnottheslightestattentiontome。Iwaited，whiletryingtofigureoutthesituation。Somethingwaswrong，and，whateveritwas，Iguessedthatitmustbewithme。AfteraboutanhourIgotmybreakfast。ThenIwentintotheoffice，intendingtobebrisk，businesslike，andcarefulaboutaskingquestions。
"I’dliketopaymybill，andalsoforalittledamage，"Isaid，tellingwhathadhappened。
"Somebody’llkillthetGreaseryet，"wasallthecommentthemanmade。
Iwentoutside，notknowingwhethertobeangryoramusedwiththesequeerpeople。InthebroadlightofdayHolstonlookedasbadasithadmademefeelbynight。AllIcouldseewerethestationandfreight—sheds，severalstoreswithhigh，widesigns，glaringlypainted，andalongblockofsaloons。WhenIhadturnedastreetcorner，however，anumberofstorescameintoviewwithsomethree—storiedbrickbuildings，and，fartherout，manyframehouses。
Moreover，thisstreetledmyeyetogreatsnowcappedmountains，andI
stoppedshortinmytracks，forIrealizedtheyweretheArizonapeaks。UptheswellingslopessweptablackfringethatIknewtobetimber。Themountainsappearedtobeclose，butIknewthateventhefoot—billsweremilesaway。Penetier，IrememberedfromoneofDick’sletters，wasontheextremenorthernslope，anditmustbeanywherefromfortytosixtymilesoff。Thesharp，whitepeaksglistenedinthemorningsun;theairhadacooltouchofsnowandatangofpine。Idrewinafullbreath，withasenseonbeingamongthepines。
NowImustbuymyoutfitandtakethetrailforPenetier。ThisIresolvedtodowithasfewquestionsaspossible。Ineverbeforewastroubledbysensitiveness，butthefacthaddawneduponmethatIdidnotlikebeingtakenforatenderfoot。So，withthisinmind，Ienteredageneralmerchandisestore。
Itwasverylarge，andfullofhardware，harness，saddles，blankets——
everythingthatcowboysandranchmenuse。Severalmen，twoinshirt—sleeves，werechattingnearthedoor。Theysawmecomein，andthen，forallthatitmeanttothem，Imightaswellnothavebeeninexistenceatall。SoIsatdowntowait，determinedtotakeWesternwaysandthingsasIfoundthem。Isattherefifteenminutesbymywatch。Thiswasnotsobad;butwhenalanky，red—faced，leather—leggedindividualcameintoheatoncesuppliedwithhiswants，Ibegantogetangry。Iwaitedanotherfiveminutes，andstillthefriendlychattingwenton。FinallyIcouldstanditnolonger。
"Willsomebodywaitonme？"Idemanded。
Oneoftheshirt—sleevedmenleisurelygotupandsurveyedme。
"Doyouwanttobuysomething？"hedrawled。
"Yes，Ido。"
"Whydidn’tyousayso？"
ThereplytremblingonmylipswascutshortbytheentranceofBuell。
"Hello！"hesaidinaloudvoice，shakinghandswithme。"You’vetrailedintotherightplace。Smith，treatthisladright。It’sgunsan’knivesan’
lassoeshewants，I’llbetahoss。"
"Yes，Iwantanoutfit，"Isaid，muchembarrassed。"I’mgoingtomeetafriendoutinPenetier，aranger——DickLeslie。"
Buellstartedviolently，andhiseyesflashed。"Dick——DickLeslie！"hesaid，andcoughedloudly。"IknowDick……Soyou’reafriendofhis’n？……Now，letmehelpyouwiththeoutfit。"
AnythingstrangeinBuell’smannerwasforgotten，intheabsorbinginterestofmyoutfit。Fatherhadgivenmeplentyofmoney，sothatIhadbuttochoose。Ihadhadsenseenoughtobringmyoldcorduroysandboots，andI
haddonnedthemthatmorning。OneafteranotherImademypurchases——Winchester，revolver，bolsters，ammunition，saddle，bridle，lasso，blanket。WhenIgotsofar，Buellsaid："You’llneedamustangan’apack—pony。Iknowafellerwho’sgotjestwhatyouwant。"Andwiththatheledmeoutofthestore。
"Nowyoutakeitfromme，"hewenton，inafatherlyvoice，"Holstonpeoplehaven’tgotanyuseforEasterners。An’ifyoumentionyourbusiness——
forestryan’that——why，youwouldn’tbesafe。There’smanyinthelumberin’businesshereasdon’ttakekindlytotheGovernment。See！That’swhyI’mgivin’youadvice。Keepittoyourselfan’hitthetrailtoday，soonasyoucan。I’llsteeryouright。"
Iwastoomuchexcitedtoanswerclearly;indeed，Ihardlythankedhim。
However，bescarcelygavemethechance。HekeptuphistalkaboutthetownspeopleandtheirattitudetowardEasternersuntilwearrivedatakindofstock—yardfullofshaggylittleponies。Thesightofthemdroveeveryotherthoughtoutofmyhead。
"Mustangs！"Iexclaimed。
"Sure。Canyouride？"
"Ohyes。Ihaveahorseathome……Whatwirylittlefellows！They’resowild—looking。"
"Youpickouttheoneassuitsyou，an’I’llstepintoCless’shere。He’sthemanwhoownsthisbunch。"
Itdidnottakemelongtodecide。Ablackmustangatoncetookmyeye。
Whenhehadbeencurriedandbrushedhewouldbealittlebeauty。IwastryingtocoaxhimtomewhenBuellreturnedwithaman。
"Thetyourpick？"heasked，asIpointed。"Well，now，you’renotsomuchofatenderfoot。Thet’sthebestmustanginthelot。Cless，howmuchforhim，an’apack—ponyan’pack—saddle？"
"Ireckontwentydollars’llmakeitsquare，"repliedtheowner。
Thisnearlymademedropwithamazement。Ihadonlyaboutseventy—fivedollarsleft，andIhadbeenverymuchafraidthatIcouldnotbuythemustang，letalonethepack—ponyandsaddle。
"Cless，sendroundtoSmithforthelad’soutfit，an’saddleupforhimatonce。"Thenheturnedtome。"Nowsomegrub，an’apanortwo。"
Havingcampedbefore，Iknewhowtobuysupplies。Buell，however，cutoutmuchthatIwanted，sayingthethingtothinkofwasalightpackforthepony。
"I’llhurrytothehotelandgetmythings，"Isaid，"andmeetyouhere。
I’llnotbeamoment。"
ButBuellsaiditwouldbebetterforhimtogowithme，thoughhedidnotexplain。Hekeptwithme，stillheremainedintheofficewhileIwentup—stairs。Somehowthissuitedme，forIdidnotwanthimtoseethebrokenwindow。Itookafewthingsfrommygripandrolledtheminabundle。ThenItookalittleleathercaseofoddsandendsIhadalwayscarriedwhencampingandslippeditintomypocket。Hurryingdown—stairsIleftmygripwiththeporter，wroteandmailedapostalcardtomyfather，andfollowedtheimpatientBuell。
"Yousee，it’sasmartlickofaridetoPenetier，andIwanttogettherebeforedark，"heexplained，kindly。
IcouldhaveshoutedforverygleewhenIsawtheblackmustangsaddledandbridled。
"He’swellbroke，"saidCless。"Keephisbridledownwhenyouain’tinthesaddle。An’findapatchofgrassferhimatnight。Thepony’llsticktohim。"
Clessfelltopackingaleanpack—pony。
"Watchmedothis，"saidhe;"you’llhevtroubleifyoudon’tgitthehangofthediamondhitch。"
Iwatchedhimsetthelittlewoodencriss—crossonthepony’sback，throwthebalanceofmyoutfit（whichhehadtiedupinacanvas）overthesaddle，andthenpassalongropeinremarkableturnsandwonderfulloopsroundponyandpack。
"What’sthemustang’sname？"Iinquired。
"Neverhadany，"repliedtheformerowner。
"Thenit’sHal。"Ithoughthowthatnamewouldpleasemybrotherathome。
"Climbup。Let’sseeifyoufitthestirrups，"saidCless。"Couldn’tbebetter。"
"Now，youngfeller，youcanhitthetrail，"putinBuell，withhisbigvoice。"An’rememberwhatItoldyou。Thiscountryain’tgotmuchuseforafellerascan’tlookoutforhimself。"
Heopenedthegate，andledmymustangintotheroadandquitesomedistance。Theponyjoggedalongafterus。ThenBuellstoppedwithafingeroutstretched。
"There，attheendofthisstreet，you’llfindatrail。Hititan’sticktoit。Allthelittletrail’sleadin’intoitneedn’tbotheryou。"
Heswepthishandroundtothewestofthemountain。ThedirectiondidnottallywiththeideaIhadgottenfromDick’sletter。
"IthoughtPenetierwasonthenorthsideofthemountains。"
"Whosaidso？"heasked，staring。"Don’tIknowthiscountry？Takeitfromme。"
Ithankedhim，and，turning，withalightheartIfacedtheblackmountainandmyjourney。
Itwasaboutteno’clockwhenHaljoggedintoabroadtrailontheoutskirtsofHolston。Agrayflatlaybeforeme，ontheothersideofwhichbegantheslowriseoftheslope。Icouldhardlycontainmyself。Iwantedtorunthemustang，butdidnotforthesakeoftheburdenedpony。Thatsage—flatwasmileswide，thoughitseemedsonarrow。Thebackofthelowerslopebegantochangetoadarkgreen，whichtoldmeIwassurelygettingclosertothemountains，evenifitdidnotseemso。Thetrailbegantorise，andatlastIreachedthefirstpine—trees。Theywereadisappointmenttome，beingnolargerthanmanyofthewhiteoaksathome，andstunted，withraggeddeadtops。Theyprovedtomethattreesisolatedfromtheirfellowsfareaspoorlyastreesovercrowded。Wherepinesgrowclosely，butnottooclosely，theyrisestraightandtrue，cleaningthemselvesofthelowbranches，andmakinggoodlumber，freeofknots。
Wheretheygrowfarapart，atthemercyofwindandheatandfreetospreadmanybranches，theymakeonlygnarledandknottylumber。
AsIrodeonthepinesbecameslowlymorenumerousandloftier。Then，whenIhadsurmountedwhatItooktobethefirstfoot—hill，Icameuponamagnificentforest。Alittlefartheronthetrailwalledmeinwithgreatseamedtrunks，sixfeetindiameter，risingahundredfeetbeforespreadingasinglebranch。
Meanwhilemymustangkeptsteadilyuptheslow—risingtrail，andthetimepassed。Eitherthegrandoldforesthadcompletelybewitchedmeorthesweetsmellofpinehadintoxicatedme，forasIrodealongutterlycontentIentirelyforgotaboutDickandthetrailandwhereIwasheading。NordidIcometomysensesuntilHalsnortedandstoppedbeforeatangledwindfall。
ThenIglanceddowntoseeonlytheclean，brownpine—needles。Therewasnotrail。Perplexedandsomewhatanxious，Irodebackapiece，expectingsurelytocrossthetrail。ButIdidnot。Iwenttotheleftandtotheright，thencircledinawidecurve。Notrail！Theforestaboutmeseemedatoncefamiliarandstrange。
ItwasonlywhenthelongshadowsbegantocreepunderthetreesthatI
awokefullytothetruth。
Ihadmissedthetrail！Iwaslostintheforest！
IV。LOSTINTHEFOREST
ForamomentIwasdazed。Andthencamepanic。Iranupthisridgeandthatone，Irushedtoandfroovergroundwhichlooked，whateverwayIturned，exactlythesame。AndIkeptsaying，"I’mlost！I’mlost！"NotuntilI
droppedexhaustedagainstapine—treedidanyotherthoughtcometome。
ThemomentthatIstoppedrunningaboutsoaimlesslythepanickyfeelingleftme。Irememberedthatforarangertobelostintheforestwasanevery—dayaffair，andthesoonerIbeganthatpartofmyeducationthebetter。ThenitcametomehowfoolishIhadbeentogetalarmed，whenI
knewthatthegeneralslopeoftheforestleddowntotheopencountry。
Thisputanentirelydifferentlightuponthematter。IstillhadsomefearsthatImightnotsoonfindDickLeslie，buttheseIdismissedforthepresent，atleast。Asuitableplacetocampforthenightmustbefound。I
ledthemustangdownintothehollows，keepingmyeyesharpforgrass。
PresentlyIcametoaplacethatwaswetandsoggyatthebottom，and，followingthisupforquiteaway，Ifoundplentyofgrassandapoolofclearwater。
OftenasIhadmadecampbackinthewoodsofPennsylvania，thedoingofitnowwasnew。Forthiswasnotplay;itwastherealthing，anditmadetheoldcampingseemtame。ItookthesaddleoffHalandtiedhimwithmylasso，makingaslongahalteraspossible。Slippingthepackfromtheponywasaneasiertaskthanthegettingitbackagainwaslikelytoprove。NextIbrokeopenaboxofcartridgesandloadedtheWinchester。Myrevolverwasalreadyloaded，andhungonmybelt。RememberingDick’slettersaboutthebearsandmountain—lionsinPenetierForest，Igotagooddealofcomfortoutofmyweapons。ThenIbuiltafire，andwhilemysupperwascookingI
scrapedupamassofpine—needlesforabed。NeverhadIsatdowntoamealwithsuchasenseofstrangeenjoyment。
ButwhenIhadfinishedandhadeverythingpackedawayandcovered，mymindbegantowanderinunexpecteddirections。Whywasitthatthetwilightseemedtomoveunderthegiantpinesandcreepdownthehollow？WhileI
gazedthegrayshadowsdeepenedtoblack，andnightcamesuddenly。Mycampfireseemedtogivealmostnolight，yetcloseathandtheflickeringgleamsplayedhide—and—seekamongthepinesandchasedupthestraighttreetrunks。Thecracklingofmyfireandthelightstepsofthegrazingmustangsonlyemphasizedthesilenceoftheforest。Thenalowmoaningfromadistancegavemeachill。AtfirstIhadnoideawhatitwas，butpresentlyIthoughtitmustbethewindinthepines。ItborenoresemblancetoanysoundIhadeverbeforeheardinthewoods。Itwouldmurmurfromdifferentpartsoftheforest;sometimesitwouldceaseforalittle，andthentravelandswelltowardme，onlytodieawayagain。Butitrosesteadily，withshorterintervalsofsilence，untiltheintermittentgustssweptthroughthetree—topswitharushingroar。Ihadlistenedtothecrashoftheoceansurf，andtheresemblancewasastrikingone。
ListeningtothismournfulwindwithallmyearsIwasthebetterpreparedforanylonesomecriesoftheforest;nevertheless，asudden，sharp"Ki—yi—i！"seeminglyrightatmyback，gavemeafrightthatsentmytonguetotheroofofmymouth。
Fumblingatthehammerofmyrifle，Ipeeredintotheblack—streakedgloomoftheforest。Thecracklingofdrytwigsbroughtmetomyfeet。Atthesamemomentthemustangssnorted。Somethingwasprowlingaboutjustbeyondthelight。Ithoughtofapanther。ThatwastheonlybeastIcouldthinkofwhichhadsuchanunearthlycry。
Thenanotherbowl，resemblingthatofadog，andfollowedbyyelpsandbarks，toldmethatIwasbeingvisitedbyapackofcoyotes。Ispentthegoodpartofanhourlisteningtotheirserenade。Thewild，mournfulnotessentquiversupmyback。By—and—bytheywentaway，andasmyfirehadburneddowntoaredglowandthenightwindhadgrowncoldIbegantothinkofsleep。
ButIwasnotsleepy。WhenIhadstretchedoutonthesoftbedofpine—needleswithmyriflecloseby，andwasallsnugandwarmundertheheavyblanket，itseemedthatnothingwassofarawayfrommeassleep。Thewonderofmysituationkeptmewideawake，myeyesonthedimhugepinesandtheglimmerofstars，andmyearsopentotherushandroarofthewind，everysensealert。HoursmusthavepassedasIlaytherelivingoverthethingsthathadhappenedandtryingtothinkoutwhatwastocome。Atlast，however，Irolledoveronmyside，andwithmyhandontherifleandmycheekclosetothesweet—smellingpine—needlesIdroppedasleep。
WhenIawoketheforestwasbrightandsunny。
"You’llmakeafineforester，"Isaidaloud，indisgustatmytardiness。
Thenbeganthesternbusinessoftheday。WhilegettingbreakfastIturnedoverinmymindtheproperthingformetodo。EvidentlyImustpackandfindthetrail。Theponyhadwanderedoffintothewoods，butwaseasilycaught——afactwhichlightenedmyworry，forIknewhowdependentIwasuponmymustangs。WhenIhadtriedforIdonotknowhowlongtogetmypacktostayonthepony’sbackIsawwhereMr。Clesshadplayedajokeonme。Allmemoryofthediamond—hitchhadfadedintoutterconfusion。Firstthepackfellovertheoff—side;next，ontopofme;thenthesaddleslippedawry，andwhenIdidgetthepacktoremainstationaryuponthepatientpony，howonearthtotieittherebecamemoreandmoreofamystery。Finally，insheerdesperation，Iranroundthepony，pulled，tugged，andknottedthelasso;morebyluckthanthroughsenseIhadaccomplishedsomethinginthenatureofthediamond—hitch。
IheadedHalupthegentleforestslope，andbegantheday’sjourneywhereverchancemightleadme。Asconfidencecame，myenjoymentincreased。
IbegantobelieveIcouldtakecareofmyself。Ireasonedoutthat，asthepeaksweresnow—capped，Ishouldfindwater，andverylikelygame，uphigher。Moreover，ImightclimbafoothillorblufffromwhichIcouldgetmybearings。
ItseemedtomethatIpassedmorepine—treesthanIcouldhaveimaginedtherewereinthewholeworld。Milesandmilesofpines！Andineverymiletheygrewlargerandruggederandfartherapart，andsohighthatIcouldhardlyseethetips。AfteratimeIgotoutofthealmostlevelforestintogroundridgedandhollowed，andfounditadvisabletoturnmoretotheright。OnthesunnysouthernslopesIsawtreesthatdwarfedtheonesonthecolderandshadynorthsides。Ialsofoundmanysmallpinesandseedlingsgrowinginwarm，protectedplaces。Thisshowedmethevalueofthesuntoaforest。ThoughIkeptalookoutfordeerorgameofanykind，Isawnothingexceptsomeblacksquirrelswithwhitetails。Theywerebeautifulandverytame，andonewasnibblingatwhatIconcludedmusthavebeenaseedfromapine—cone。
PresentlyIfanciedthatIespiedamovingspeckfardownthroughtheforestglades。IstoppedHal，and，watchingclosely，soonmadecertainofit。Thenitbecamelostforatime，butreappearedagainsomewhatcloser。
Itwaslikeabrownblurandscarcelymoved。IreinedHalmoretotheright。NotforquiteawhiledidIseethethingagain，andwhenIdiditlookedsobigandbrownthatItookupmyWinchester。Thenitdisappearedoncemore。
Idescendedintoahollow，andtyingHal，Istoleforwardonfoot，hopingbythatmeanstogetclosetothestrangeobjectwithoutbeingseenmyself。
Iwaitedbehindapine，andsuddenlythreehorsemenrodeacrossagladenottwohundredyardsaway。TheforemostriderwasnootherthantheMexicanwhomIhadreasontoremember。
Thehugetrunkamplyconcealedme，but，nevertheless，Icroucheddown。HowstrangethatIshouldrunintothatMexicanagain！Wherewashegoing？Hadhefollowedme？Wasthereatrail？
AslongasthethreemenwereinsightIwatchedthem。WhenthelastbrownspeckhadflittedanddisappearedfarawayintheforestIretracedmystepstomymustang，ponderinguponthisnewturninmyaffairs。
"Thingsareboundtohappentome，"Iconcluded，"andImayaswellmakeupmymindtothat。"
WhilestandingbesideHal，undecidedastomynextmove，Iheardawhistle。
Itwasfaint，perhapsmilesaway，yetunmistakablyitwasthewhistleofanengine。Iwonderediftherailroadturnedroundthissideofthepeaks。
MountingHal，IrodedowntheforesttothepointwhereIhadseenthemen，andtherecameuponatrail。Iproceededalongthisinthedirectionthemenhadtaken。Ihadcomeagaintotheslow—risinglevelthatIhadnotedearlierinmymorning’sjourney。Afterseveralmilesalightoropeningintheforestaheadcausedmetousemorecaution。AsIrodeforwardIsawavastareaoftree—topsfarbelow，andthenIfoundmyselfontheedgeofafoot—hill。
Rightundermewasawide，yellow，barespot，milesacross，ahorribleslashinthegreenforest，andinthemiddleofit，surroundedbystacksonstacksoflumber，wasagreatsawmill。
Istaredinutteramazement。AsawmillonPenetier！EvenasIgazedatrainoffresh—cutlumbertrailedawayintotheforest。
V。THESAWMILL
InmysurpriseIalmostforgottheMexican。ThenIthoughtthatifDickweretheretheMexicanwouldbelikelytohavetroublesofhisown。I
rememberedDick’sreputationasafighter。ButsupposeIdidnotfindDickatthesawmill？Thispartoftheforestwasprobablyownedbyprivateindividuals，forIcouldn’timagineGovernmenttimberbeingcutinthisfashion。SoItiedHalandtheponyamidstathickclumpofyoungpines，and，leavingallmyoutfitexceptmyrevolver，Istruckoutacrosstheslash。
Nosecondglancewasneededtotellthatthelumberingherewascarelessandwithoutthoughtforthefuture。Ithadbeenacleancut，andwhatsmallsaplingshadescapedthesawhadbeencrushedbythedroppingandhaulingofthelargepines。Thestumpswereallaboutthreefeethigh，andthatmeantthewasteofmanythousandsoffeetofgoodlumber。Onlythestraight，unbranchedtrunkshadbeenused。Thetopsofthepineshadnotbeenlopped，andlaywheretheyhadfallen。Itwasawildernessofyellowbrush，adryjungle。ThesmellofpinewassopowerfulthatIcouldhardlybreathe。Firemustinevitablycompletethisworkofruin;alreadyIwasforesterenoughtoseethat。
Presentlythetrailcrossedarailroadtrackwhichappearedtohavebeenhastilyconstructed。SwingingalongatarapidsteponthetiesIsoonreachedtheoutskirtsofthehugestacksoflumber;Imusthavewalkedhalfamilebetweentwoyellowwalls。ThenIenteredthelumbercamp。
Itwasevenworse—lookingthantheslash。Rowsofdirtytents，linesofsquattylog—cabins，andmanyflat—boardhousesclusteredaroundanimmensesawmill。EvidentlyIhadarrivedatthenoonhour，forthemillwasnotrunning，andmanyroughmenwereloungingaboutsmokingpipes。Atthedoorofthefirstshackstoodafat，round—facedNegrowearingalong，dirtyapron。
"IsDickLesliehere？"Iasked。
"IdunnoifDick’scomeinyet，butI’speckshim，"hereplied。"BeyoutheyounggentDick’slookin’ferfromdownEast？"
"Yes。"
"Comerightin，sonny，comerightinan’eat。Dickalluseatswithme，an’
hehasspokeoften’boutyou。"Heledmein，andseatedmeatabenchwhereseveralmenwereeating。Theywerebrawnyfellows，cladinoverallsandundershirts，andone，whospokepleasantlytome，hadsawdustonhisbarearmsandeveninhishair。Thecooksetbeforemeabowlofsoup，aplateofbeans，potroast，andcoffee，allofwhichIattackedwithagoodappetite。Presentlythemenfinishedtheirmeatandwentoutside，leavingmealonewiththecook。
"Manymenonthisjob？"Iasked。
"More’nathousand。Buell’srunnin’twoshifts，dayan’night。"
"Buell？Doesheownthisland？"
"No。He’sonlytheagentofa’Friscolumbercompany，an’thelandbelongstotheGovernment。Buell’ssureslashin’thelumberoff，though。Twofreight—trainsoflumberouteveryday。"
"IsthisPenetierForest？"Iqueried，carelessly，butIhadbeguntothinkhard。
"Sure。"
Iwantedtoaskquestions，butthoughtitwisertowait。IknewenoughalreadytomakeoutthatIhadcomeuponthesceneofagiganticlumbersteal。Buell’sstrangemanneronthetrain，atthestation，andhiseagernesstohurrymeoutofHolstonnowneedednomoreexplanation。I
begantothinktheworstofhim。
"DidyouseeaMexicancomeintocamp？"IinquiredoftheNegro。
"Sure。Greasergotherethismornin’。"
"HetriedtorobmeinHolston。"
"’Tain’tnothin’newferGreaser。He’sathief，butIneverheerdofhimholdin’anybodyup。Nonerve’cepttoknifeafellerintheback。"
"What’llIdoifImeethimhere？"
"Slamhimone！You’reastrappin’biglad。Slamhimone，an’flashyourgunonhim。Greaser’sacoward。Iseenayoungfellerhe’dcheatedmakehimcrawl。Anyway，it’llbealldaywithhimwhenDickfindsouthetriedtorobyou。An’say，stranger，ifafellerstayssober，thiscamp’ssafeenoughindaytime，butatnight，drunkorsober，it’satoughplace。"
BeforeIhadfinishedeatingashrillwhistlefromthesawmillcalledthehandstowork;soonitwasfollowedbytherumbleofmachineryandthesharpsingingofasaw。
Isetouttoseethelumber—camp，andalthoughIsteppedforthboldly，thetruthwasthatwithallmylovefortheWildWestIwouldhavelikedtobeathome。ButhereIwas，andIdeterminednottoshowthewhitefeather。
Ipassedarowofcook—shacksliketheoneIhadbeenin，andseveralstoresandsaloons。Thelumber—campwasalittletown。Aramblinglogcabinattractedmebyreasonoftheshaggymustangsstandingbeforeitandthesoundsofmirthwithin。Apeepshowedmearoomwithalongbar，wheremenandboysweredrinking。Iheardtherattleofdiceandtheclinkofsilver。
Seeingtheplacewascrowded，IthoughtImightfindDickthere，soI
steppedinside。Myentrancewasunnoticed，sofarasIcouldtell;infact，thereseemednoreasonwhyitshouldbeotherwise，for，beingroughlydressed，Ididnotlookverydifferentfromthemanyyoungfellowsthere。I
scannedallthefaces，butdidnotseeDick’s，nor，forthatmatter，theMexican’s。Bothdisappointedandrelieved，Iturnedaway，forthepictureoflowdissipationwasnotattractive。
Thehumofthegreatsawmilldrewmelikeamagnet。Iwentouttothelumber—yardatthebackofthemill，whereatrestleslanteddowntoapondfulloflogs。Atrainloadedwithpineshadjustpulledin，anddozensofmenwererollinglogsofftheflat—carsintoacanal。Atstationsalongthecanalstoodotherspike—polingthelogstowardthetrestle，whereanendlesschaincaughtthemwithsharpclawsandhauledthemup。Half—wayfrom，thegroundtheywerewashedcleanbyacircleofwater—spouts。
Iwalkedupthetrestleandintothemill。Thonoisealmostdeafenedme。
Highaboveallothersoundsrosethepiercingsongofthesaw，andtheshortintervalswhenitwasnotcuttingwerefilledwithathunderouscrashthatjarredthewholebuilding。AfterafewconfusedglancesIgottheworkingorderintomyhead，andfoundmyselfinthemostinterestingplaceIhadeverseen。
Asthestreamoflogscameupintothemillthefirstlogwasshuntedoffthechainuponacarriage。Twomenoperatedthiscarriagebylevers，onetotaketheloguptothesaw，andtheothertorunitbackforanothercut。
Therunbackwasveryswift。Thenahugeblackironheadbuttedupfrombelowandturnedthelogoveraseasilyasifithadbeenastraw。Thiswaswhatmadethejarandcrash。Onthefirstcutthelongstripofbarkwenttotheleftandupagainstfivelittlecircularsaws。Thenthefivepiecesslippedoutofsightdownchutes。Whenthelogwastrimmedamanstationednearthehugeband—sawmadesignstothoseonthecarriage，andIsawthattheygotfromhimdirectionswhethertocutthelogintotimbers，planks，orboards。Theheavytimbers，afterleavingthesaw，wentstraightdownthemiddleofthemill，theplankswenttotheright，theboardsinanotherdirection。Menandboyswereeverywhere，eachwithaleverinhand。Therewasnottheslightestcessationofthework。Andalogfortyfeetlongandsixfeetthick，whichhadtakenhundredsofyearstogrow，wascutupinjustfourminutes。
Theplacefascinatedme。Ihadnotdreamedthatasawmillcouldbebroughttosuchapitchofmechanicalperfection，andIwonderedhowlongthetimberwouldlastatthatrateofcutting。Themovementanddintiredme，andIwentoutsideuponalongplatform。Hereworkmencaughttheplanksandboardsastheycameout，andloadedthemupontruckswhichwerewheeledaway。Thisplatformwasaworldinitself。Itsentarmseverywhereamongthepilesoflumber，andonceortwiceIwasasmuchlostasIhadbeenupintheforest。
WhileturningintooneofthesebywaysIcamesuddenlyuponBuellandanotherman。Theywerestandingnearalittlehouseofweather—strips，evidentlyanoffice，andwereintheirshirt—sleeves。Theyhadnotseenorheardme。Idodgedbehindapileofplanks，intendingtoslipbackthewayIhadcome。BeforeIcouldmoveBuell’svoicerootedmetothespot。
"Hisname’sWard。Tall，well—setlad。IputGreaserafterhimtheothernight，hopin’toscarehimbackEast。Butnix！"
"Well，he’sherenow——tostudyforestry！Ha！ha！"saidtheother。
"You’resuretheboyyoumeanistheoneImean？"
"Greasertoldmeso。AndthisboyisLeslie’sfriend。"
"That’stheworstofit，"repliedBuell，impatiently。"I’vegotLesliefixedasfarasthislumberdealisconcerned，buthewon’tstandforanymore。Hewashardertofixthantheotherrangers，an’I’mafraidofhim。"
he’sgrouchynow。
"Youshouldn’thavelettheboygethere。"
"Stockton，Itriedtopreventit。IputGreaserwithBudan’Billonhistrail。Theydidn’tfindhim，an’nowhereheturnsup。"
"Maybehecanbefixed。"
"NotifIknowmybusiness，hecan’t;takethatfromme。Thiskidisstraight。He’llqueermydealinaminuteifhegetswise。Mindyou，I’mgettin’learyofWashington。We’veseenaboutthelastoftheselumberdeals。IfIcanpullthisoneoffI’llquit;allIwantisalittlemoretime。ThenI’llfiretheslash，an’that’llcovertracks。"
"Buell，Iwouldn’twanttobenearPenetierwhenyoulightthatfire。Thisforestwillburnliketinder。"
"It’sawholelotIcarethen。Letherburn。LettheGovernmentputoutthefire。Now，what’stobedoneaboutthisboy？"
"IthinkI’dtrytofeelhimout。Maybehecanbefixed。Boyswhowanttobeforesterscan’tberich。Failingthat——yousayhe’sakidwhowantstohuntandshoot——getsomeonetotakehimuponthemountain。"
"Seehere，Stockton。ThisyoungWardwillseethetimberisbein’cutclean。IfitwasonlyalittlepatchIwouldn’tmind。Butthisslashan’
thismill！He’llknow。More’nthat，he’lltellLeslieabouttheMexican。
Dick’snofool。We’reupagainstit。"
"It’srisky，Buell。YouremembertherangerupinOregon。"
"Thenwearetofalldownonthisdealallbecauseofafreshtenderfootkid？"demandedBuell。
"Notsoloud……We’llnotfalldown。Butcaution——usecaution。YoumadeamistakeintrustingsomuchtotheGreaser。"
"Iknow，an’I’mafraidofLeslie。An’thatotherfire—ranger，JimWilliams，he’saTexan，an’abadman。Thetwoofthemcouldabouttrimupthiscamp。They’llbothfightfortheboy;takethatfromme。"
"Wearesureupagainstit。Thinknow，andthinkquick。"
"First，I’lltrytofixtheboy。Ifthatwon’twork……we’llkidnaphim。
Thenwe’lltakenochanceswithLeslie。There’sacooltwohundredan’
fiftythousandinthisdealforus，an’we’regoin’togetit。"
WiththatBuellwentintohisofficeandclosedthedoor;theotherman，Stockton，walkedbrisklydowntheplatform。Icouldnotresistpeepingfrommyhiding—placeashepassed。Hewastallandhadaredbeard，whichwouldenablemetorecognizehimifwemet。
Iwaitedthereforsomelittletime。ThenIsawthatbysqueezingbetweentwopliesoflumbercouldreachtheothersideoftheplatform。WhenI
reachedtherailingIclimbedover，and，withthehelpofbracesandposts，soongottowhereIcoulddropdown。OnceonthegroundIranalongundertheplatformuntilIsawalanethatledtothestreet。MyonethoughtwastoreachthecabinwheretheNegrocookstayedandaskhimifDickLesliehadcometocamp。Ifhehadnotarrived，thenIintendedtomakeabee—lineformymustang。
VI。DICKLESLIE，RANGER
WhichendofthestreetIenteredIhadnoidea。Thecabinswereallalike，andinmyhurryIwouldhavepassedthecook’sshackhaditnotbeenforthesightofamanstandinginthedoor。ThatstalwartfigureIwouldhaveknownanywhere。
"Dick！"Icried，rushingathim。
WhatDick’swelcomewasIdidnothear，butjudgingfromthegripheputonmyshouldersandthenonmyhands，hewasgladtoseeme。
"Ken，blessedifI’dhaveknownyou，"hesaid，shovingmebackatarm’s—length。"Let’shavealookatyou……GrownIsay，butyou’reahuskylad！"
WhilehewaslookingatmeIreturnedthescrutinywithinterest。Dickhadalwaysbeenbig，butnowheseemedwiderandheavier。AmongthesebronzedWesternersheappearedpale，butthatwasonlyonaccountofhisfairskin。
"Ken，didn’tyougetmyletter——theonetellingyounottocomeWestyetawhile？"
"No，"Ireplied，blankly。"ThelastoneIgotwasinMay——aboutthemiddle。
Ihaveitwithme。Youcertainlyaskedmetocomethen。Dick，don’tyouwantme——now？"
Plainitwasthatmyfriendfeltuncomfortable;heshiftedfromonefoottoanother，andaclouddarkenedhisbrow。Buthisblueeyesburnedwithawarmlightasheputhishandonmyshoulder。
"Ken，I’mgladtoseeyou，"hesaid，earnestly。"It’slikegettingaglimpseofhome。ButIwroteyounottocome。Conditionshavechanged——
there’ssomethingdoinghere——I’ll——"
"Youneedn’texplain，Dick，"Ireplied，gravely。"Iknow。Buelland——"Iwavedmyhandfromthesawmilltotheencirclingslash。
Dick’sfaceturnedafieryred。IbelievedthatwastheonlytimeDickLeslieeverfailedtolookafellowintheeye。
"Ken！……You’reon，"hesaid，recoveringhiscomposure。"Well，waittillyouhear——Hello！here’sJimWilliams，mypardner。"
Aclinkingofspursaccompaniedasoftstep。
"Jim，here’sKenWard，thekidpardnerIusedtohavebackintheStates，"
saidDick。"Ken，youknowJim。"
IfeverIknewanythingbyheartitwaswhatDickhadwrittenmeaboutthisTexan，JimWilliams。
"Ken，Ishoreamgladtoseeyou，"drawledJim，givingmyhandasqueezethatIthoughtmustbreakeveryboneinit。
ThoughJimWilliamshadneverbeendescribedtome，myfirstsightofhimfittedmyownideas。Hewastallandspare;hisweather—beatenfaceseemedsetlikeadarkmask;onlyhiseyesmoved，andtheyhadaquiveringalertnessandabrilliancythatmadethemhardtolookinto。Heworeawidesombrero，ablueflannelshirtwithadoublerowofbigbuttons，overalls，top—bootswithveryhighheels，andlongspurs。Aheavyrevolverswungathiship，andifIhadnotalreadyknownthatJimWilliamshadfoughtIndiansandkilledbadmen，Ishouldstillhaveseensomethingthatawedmeinthelookofhim。
Icertainlyfeltproudtobestandingwiththosetworangers，andforthemomentBuellandallhiscrewcouldnothavedauntedme。
"Hello！what’sthis？"inquiredDick，throwingbackmycoat;and，catchingsightofmyrevolver，heejaculated："KenWard！"
"Wal，Ken，ifyou—allain’tpackin’agun！"saidJim，inhisslow，carelessdrawl。"Dick，heshoreis！"
Itwasnowmyturntoblush。
"Yes，I’vegotagun，"Ireplied，"andIoughttohavehadittheothernight。"
"Howso？"inquiredDick，quickly。
ItdidnottakemelongtorelatetheincidentoftheMexican。
Dicklookedlikeathunder—cloud，butJimswayedandshookwithlaughter。
"Youknockedhimofftheroof？Wal，thetshoreisdee—lightful。Itshoreis！"
"Yes;and，Dick，"Iwenton，breathlessly，"theGreaserfollowedme，andifIhadn’tmissedthetrail，Idon’tknowwhatwouldhavehappened。Anyway，hegotherefirst。"
"TheGreasertrailedyou？"interruptedDick，sharply。
WhenIrepliedheglancedkeenlyatme。"Howdoyouknow？"
"IsuspecteditwhenIsawhimwithtwomenintheforest。ButnowIknowit。"
"How？"
"IbeardBuelltellStocktonhehadputtheGreaseronmytrail。"
"Buell——Stockton！"exclaimedDick。"What’dtheyhavetodowiththeGreaser？"
"ImetBuellonthetrain。ItoldhimIhadcomeWesttostudyforestry。
Buell’safraidI’llfindoutaboutthislumbersteal，andhewantstoshutmymouth。"
DicklookedfrommetoJim，andJimslowlystraitenedhistallform。Foramomentneitherspoke。Dick’swhitefacecausedmetolookawayfromhim。
Jimputahandonmyarm。
"Ken，youshorewaslucky;youshorewas。"
"Iguesshedoesn’tknowhowlucky，"addedDick，somewhathuskily。"Comeon，we’lllookuptheMexican。"
"ItshoreisfunnyhowbadIwanttoseethetGreaser。"
Dick’shardlookandtonewerethreateningenough，yettheydidnotaffectmesomuchastheeasy，gaymanneroftheTexan。Littlecoldquiversranoverme，andmykneesknockedtogether。ForthemomentmyanimositytowardtheMexicanvanished，andwithittheoldhungertobeinthethickofWildWesternlife。IwasafraidthatIwasgoingtoseeamankilledwithoutbeingabletoliftahandtopreventit。
Therangersmarchedmebetweenthemdownthestreetandintothecornersaloon。DickheldmehalfbehindhimwithhislefthandwhileJimsaunteredahead。Strangestofallthethingsthathadhappenedwasthesuddensilencingofthenoisycrowd。
TheMexicanwasnotthere。Hiscompanions，BudandBill，asBuellhadcalledthem，weresittingatatable，andasJimWilliamswalkedintothecenteroftheroomtheyslowlyandgraduallyrosetotheirfeet。Onewasaswarthymanwithevileyesandascaronhischeek;theotherhadabrick—
redfaceandasandymustachewithaviciouscurl。Neitherseemedtobeafraid，onlycautious。
"We’realllookin’forthetGreaserfriendofyourn，"drawledJim。"Ishorewanttoseehimbad。"
"He’sgone，Williams，"repliedone。"Wasinsomethin’ofarustle，an’
didn’tleavenoword。"
"Wal，Ireckonhe’sallwe’relookin’forthisperticklerminnit。"
Jimspokeinasoft，drawlingvoice，andhisalmostexpressionlesstoneseemedtoindicatepleasantindifference;still，noonecouldhavebeenmisledbyit，forthelong，steadygazehegavethemenandhiscoolpresencethatheldtheroomquietmeantsomethingvastlydifferent。Noreplywasoffered。BudandBillsatdown，evidentlytoresumetheircard—playing。Theuneasysilencebroketoalaugh，thentosubduedvoices，andfinallytheclatterandhumbeganagain。Dickledmeoutside，whereweweresoonjoinedbyJim。
"He’sholedup，"suggestedDick。
"Shore。Idon’ttakenostockinhishittin’thetrail。He’slayin’low。"
"Let’slookaroundabit，anyhow。"
Dicktookmebacktothecook’scabinand，biddingmeremaininside，strodeaway。IbeardfootstepssosoonafterhisdeparturethatImadecertainhehadreturned，buttheburlyformwhichblockedthelightinthecabindoorwasnotDick’s。IwasastoundedtorecognizeBuell。
"Hello！"hesaid，inhisblusteringvoice。"Heardyouhadreachedcamp，an’
havebeenhuntin’youup。"
Igreetedhimpleasantlyenough——morefromsurprisethanfromadesiretomisleadhim。ItseemedtomethenthatachildcouldhavereadBuell。He’danairofsuppressedexcitement;therewasaglowonhisfaceandakindofdaringflashinhiseyes。Heseemedtooeager，toogladtoseeme。
"I’vegotagoodjobforyou，"hewenton，glibly。"jestwhatyouwant，an’
you’rejestwhatIneed。Comeintomyofficean’helpme。There’llbeplentyofoutsidework——measurin’lumber，markin’trees，an’such。"
"Why，Mr。Buell——I——yousee，Dick——hemightnot——"
Ihesitated，notknowinghowtoproceed。ButatmyhaltingspeechBuellbecameevenmoresmilingandvoluble。
"Dick？Oh，Dickan’Istandallright;takethetfromme。Dick’llagreetowhatIwant。Ineedayoungfellerbad。Money’snoobject。You’reabrightyoungster。You’lllookoutformyinterests。Here！"Hepulledoutalargewadofgreenbacks，andthenspokeinalowervoice。"Youunderstandthatmoneycutsnoice’roundthiscamp。We’veabigdeal。Weneedasmartyoungfeller。There’salwayssomelittleirregularitiesaboutthesebigtimberdealsoutWest。Butyou’llwearblinkers，an’makesomemoneywhileyou’restudyin’forestry。See？"
"Irregularities？Whatkindofirregularities？"
ForthelifeofmeIcouldnotkeepalittlescornoutofmyquestion。
Buellslowlyputthebillsinhispocketwhilehiseyessearched;Icouldnotcontrolmyrisingtemper。
"Youmeanyouwanttofixme？"
Hemadenoanswer，andhisfacestiffened。
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