"Sure thing."
Early the next morning, Al let Ted and Tammie off at the camp and turned back, with traps and rifle, to get on the trail of the marauding coyote. While the collie renewed his acquaintance with the chipmunks, Ted laid a chunk of wood in the sawbuck and sawed off a twelve-inch length. He sawed another ... and worked until noon. After lunch, he started splitting the wood he had sawed. It was the right way to do things. If hunters cut their own wood, they might injure valuable trees.
Evening shadows were long again when Al came to pick him up. "Get your coyote?" Ted greeted his father.
"No, but I will. I found where he's runnin' and I put traps in the right places. See you got a sizable pile of wood."
"I haven't been loafing."
"Not much anyhow."
Ted said tiredly, "What a refreshing sense of humor my old pappy's got."
They turned into the driveway of their own house, to see Loring Blade's pickup truck already there and the game warden waiting. With him was Jack Callahan, Sheriff of Mahela County.
Al's voice was weighted with surprise as he welcomed them. "Hi, Lorin'. 'Lo, Jack. Been waitin' long?"