“You girls should be more careful about starting camp fires.”
“We’re always careful,” Judy insisted indignantly.
“Didn’t you have a fire this afternoon at Fountain Falls?”
“Yes, but we were granted a permit. We took great care with our fire, dousing the coals with water and covering the dead ashes with dirt as an added precaution.”
“Well, not thirty minutes ago, our spotter at Tower 32 reported a small fire close to the Falls. Fortunately, it was put out before it spread.”
“It couldn’t have been our fire, and we shouldn’t be blamed for it,” Judy said, her eyes flashing.
“Some member of your party may have dropped a lighted match.”
“None of us had any. Only our leader carried matches.”
“Well, I don’t know how the fire started,” the ranger admitted. “Just be more careful, that’s all. Now about reporting this trucker you think is Joe Pompilli—”
“I guess I must have made a mistake,” Judy mumbled. “Sorry to have bothered you.”