“Well, you know, soon after you left us to go down the trail to this place, Tally rode into the stream to reach the tributary he had mentioned. This he followed and, soon, I lost all sight and sound of him and the horse. Then I rode back to Winsor where I expected to turn to go up Grass Mountain for the two Rangers’ advice, and to make sure the burros had not strayed back there.
“I had almost reached Winsor, when I noticed smoke drifting up the trail. I cursed such luck that would call the Rangers to fight a forest fire just when I wanted to find them. But I rode on hoping I might meet them.
“Then the thought flashed through my mind that this fire might drive the horse-thieves to the trail, or burn the slow-going burros with our packs.
“I had not traveled much farther, before I heard the echo of several horses’ hoofs pounding down the hard trail.
“In a short time I saw a number of fire-fighters come tearing over the trail. To my intense relief I saw Oliver and Johnson with them. They recognized me and called to know if I was lost; I tried to explain, but they told me to join them. Then Oliver said:
“‘Panchuelo telephoned our station that a tiny spiral of smoke was seen to rise from the woods at Lake Park. They thought some camper must have left a fire smoldering and gone away to let it eat into dry timber and start a flare.
“‘Johnson and I left orders for our subs on Grass Mountain and caught up our tools, then jumped into the saddle and were off down-trail to meet the other boys coming from Panchuelo.
“‘When we met they told us you had been there and had marveled at the view of the surrounding country when seen through the powerful lens we keep in the observatory. The scouts seemed surprised to hear that a Ranger’s life was not one of ease and “high-living,” laughed Oliver.
“‘And I’m surprised to hear you chat so unconcernedly, Oliver, while we’re on our way to a conflagration,’ said I.
“Oliver replied: ‘We’re used to this. But as I was about to say, you scouts seemed amazed to find that our territory stretches over an area of 100,000 acres. That we have to patrol this area and watch for timber thieves, forest fires, floods, and other calamities to which the forest is subjected; then as a little diversion we construct roads, build bridges, clean away debris and such.