They made the rounds of the patrol to satisfy themselves that the watchmen were attending to their duties. Leaving the main road, they scrambled through the tangled masses of tree-tops to ascertain how far distant the slash had been removed from the standing timber. Suddenly a tiny wisp of smoke was seen to drift from behind a fir tree at the edge of the clearing. Without comment, both men broke into a run.
Aroused by the crashing footsteps, a young man, who had been lying stretched lazily on the soft moss, came quickly to his feet, a cigarette held in his fingers. His companion, also smoking, lay with his back against the bole of a tree a few feet distant. Fishing-rods, creeks, landing-nets and the remains of a lunch lay scattered on the ground.
“Don’t you know better than to smoke here?” blazed Wilkinson.
The fisherman brazenly replaced the cigarette between his lips. Wilkinson’s arm shot forward like a flash to pluck the offending weed from the mouth of the astonished youth. “I wish we had a law to prevent smoking in the woods. I would take great pleasure in arresting you,” he growled savagely as he pinched the fire from the cigarette and ground it under his heel.
Unnoticed by the Forest Ranger, the second man removed his cigarette furtively and with a flirt of his hand threw it behind him as he rose to his feet.
“You are too damned officious! You have no authority to prevent us smoking,” he said angrily, as with clenched fists he advanced belligerently.
Wilkinson was near the breaking point. The weeks of worry, the long hours of arduous toil, and the lack of sleep had frayed his nerves. “Damn you!” he flared, “if it’s a fight you want——” He broke off suddenly, his eyes wide and staring. “My God! look!” he shouted. A flare of flame shot from the spot where the cigarette had fallen. A breeze rustled through the trees to fan the flame to a drumming roar as a pile of slash caught fire. The Red Terror was loosed.
“The alarm!” cried Wilkinson.
“Fire!” shouted Donald as he stumbled to the road.
“Fire!” repeated the nearest patrolman.