STAMPING IT GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.
McGinnis marking "U. S." on timber that has been scaled and measured up.
Photograph by U. S. Forest Service.
CHAPTER VII
WILBUR IN HIS OWN CAMP
"I should think," said Wilbur at headquarters that night, when the timber theft of Peavey Jo was being discussed, "that it would be mighty hard to prove that the timber had been taken."
"Why?" asked the Supervisor.
"Well, we can see how the logs were drawn, and so forth, but you can't bring those driveways into court very well, and put them before the judge as Exhibit A, or anything?"
"You could bring affidavits, couldn't you? But there are few who want to go to law about it. A man knows he can't buck the government on a fake case. We have very little trouble now, but there used to be a lot of it."
"Did you ever have to use weapons, Mr. Merritt?" asked the boy, remembering the story he had heard in Washington about the tie-cutters.