“My name is Burton. I have been assigned to this forest and ordered to report to you.”
The supervisor smiled cordially and lost his “hard” look at once. “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Burton,” he said, rising to shake hands. “I have been expecting you and hoping that you would come to-day. It is almost time for the range to open up and we need you badly.” He closed the door into the outer office. “I know that you have just landed from a long trip and are probably tired, but there are one or two things that I want to tell you now. It may save you trouble later. Have a seat.”
Scott was a little surprised at being pushed into the harness so soon, but he was anxious to get to work, and the town, as he had seen it, did not seem to offer any attractions. He sat down to get his first instructions.
“I’ll be perfectly frank with you,” said Mr. Ramsey, “because if we are going to get along together we have to understand each other. The job to which you have been assigned is a hard and not altogether pleasant one. The three men who have held it have been busted out one after the other in rapid succession because they have either been ‘run out’ or ‘bought up’ by the sheep men. The regulations are to be enforced in that district.” His face looked hard enough now. “It is the only district in this forest where they have not always been enforced in the past and I am going to put them through there if I have to bust a patrolman every week to do it.”
“You will have a particularly hard time because you are an Easterner. These Westerners will all look on you with contempt until you make good and will try to slip something over on you at every opportunity. As a rule, we do not put an Easterner in as a patrolman for that reason. But since the last man there seemed to be in the pay of the sheep men as well as of the service I determined to try an Eastern man who would be a stranger here.”
“I am afraid it will be only too plain that I am not connected with the sheep men,” Scott laughed. “I am horribly green on the sheep business.”
“I am glad of it,” Mr. Ramsey replied. “Don’t let any of these fellows here in town get you into a muss before you get out of town. They will probably try it. They will guy you at every opportunity. Take it as well as you can, but do not let any one walk over you.”
“Thank you,” Scott said, “I appreciate your advice and shall try to keep out of trouble.”
The quiet answer which showed neither boastfulness nor a willingness to be walked over seemed to please the supervisor. “Good,” he exclaimed, “now I’ll take you over to the hotel and you can get some supper and a little rest. To-morrow we’ll get you outfitted, and the next day I’ll take you out to your headquarters and show you around a little.”
Mr. Ramsey introduced Scott to the clerk, Mr. Benson. The clerk shook hands grouchily, and Scott understood that his reports and expense accounts would have to be flawless if they were to get by this man who seemed to have conceived a violent dislike for him at first sight. If he could have seen him a few minutes before listening at the keyhole he would have been even more certain of it.