The Young Wireless Operator-As a Fire Patrol Part 12

He turned to his men. "Get right at it and beat it out," he ordered. "This is all there is to it."

Again he faced Charley. "Are you sure?" he demanded. "When we came over the pa.s.s it looked as though the entire bottom was afire."

"It was," said Charley. "That is, everything this side of the run was afire. We have got it all out but this."

"Have you seen anything of two boys with a wireless outfit? They notified me of this fire."

"Why, I am one of them, sir. It was I who asked you yesterday for a job as fire patrol."

The forester looked at him narrowly for several seconds. "See here," he said severely. "Did you boys set this forest afire?"

Charley looked aghast. "Set the forest afire!" he exclaimed in amazement.

"Certainly not. Why should we?"

"Are you telling me the truth?"

Even through the grime Charley's face was red. "See here," he said angrily, "I don't care whether you are the forester or the President of the United States. You are not going to call me a liar. If Lew and I hadn't been here fishing, you wouldn't have any forest by this time. We've fought this fire for hours and it's only a piece of luck that Lew isn't dead. He'd have been burned to a crisp if I hadn't found him just when I did. We've done everything we could to save the forest. I demand to know your reason for suggesting that we started the blaze."

"Young man," said the forester, "more than one forest fire has been set by persons who wanted a job fighting fire. You wanted a job. You told me what an advantage your wireless would be.

"My ranger reported to me by telephone last night that excepting for yourselves he had seen n.o.body in this region all day. This morning a fire breaks out; you report it promptly by wireless; and when we arrive, you have it almost out. Isn't that a suspicious chain of circ.u.mstances?

Doesn't it look as though you might be trying to show the forester something?"

"A fellow who would set the forest afire just to prove his own qualifications as a fire fighter ought to be put in prison," said Charley indignantly. "Do you think I'm that kind of a skunk?"

"No, I don't," said the forester. "I believe you boys had no hand in starting this fire and that you have risked your lives and done heroic work to save the forest. But I had to be sure. There is something queer about this fire. With no railroads near to shoot up sparks, no thunder-storms to flash lightning, and no campers to be careless with their fires, what did cause it? It isn't the first time mysterious fires have started in this fine timber. You saw in the other valley what two of these fires did before we got them out. This is the third fire that has occurred in this tract. If it hadn't been for you boys, I hate to think what would have happened. You have done a great service to the people of Pennsylvania."

Charley was suddenly abashed. He turned his glance on the ground. He did not know what to say.

After a moment the forester spoke again. A new idea seemed suddenly to have occurred to him. "Now that you have had a taste of real fire fighting," he said, "would you still like to be a fire patrol--possibly a ranger?"

"Better than anything in the world," replied Charley. "I love the forest."

"Are you sure you can be released from further school work?"

"I feel certain I can."

"Then I have a particular job for you, Mr. Fire Guard."

"Mr. Fire Guard," echoed Charley, his heart beating wildly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," smiled the forester, "that you are here and now appointed a fire patrol; that you are now a representative of the State of Pennsylvania, and after you have been sworn in you will have the power of making arrests. The particular job I have for you is to guard this forest.

Somebody wants to destroy this stand of virgin timber. Your job is to protect it."

Chapter VIII

Making an Investigation

The fire crew, hardy woodsmen and rangers, accustomed to severe toil, soon beat out what was left of the fire. Then they went over the entire line of the fire to make sure every spark was extinguished. The forester and Charley found Lew, and the three crossed the valley to the brook where the two boys had begun their battle with the flames. When the fire crew had returned and the forester was satisfied that there was no further danger, he turned and held out his hand.

"Report to me at my office at the earliest possible moment," he said. "If I dared risk being away from my headquarters so long," he added regretfully, "I'd stay here and make an investigation. But a fire may start somewhere else, and here I'd be with my fire crew. A thousand acres might burn over before I knew it."

"Isn't there anybody in charge at headquarters?" asked Charley.

"Sure. I have an a.s.sistant there. But if an alarm came in he wouldn't be of much use without a fire crew."

"Send your fire crew back," said Charley. "You can stay here and make your investigation, and we can keep you in touch with your office easily."

"Are you sure?"

"There isn't any doubt of it. Willie said he would listen in every few minutes, and Willie always does what he says he will. You instruct your fire crew to tell your a.s.sistant to keep in touch with Willie by telephone, and we'll tell Willie to keep in touch with us by wireless.

It's as easy as rolling off a log."

The forester looked doubtful. "I'd like to stay," he said. "Are you positive you can do this?"

"Of course," said Lew. "We do that sort of thing right along."

"Well," said the forester, still hesitating, "I'll risk it. It is of the utmost importance that an investigation be made at once. It might be days before the chief forest fire-warden could come here. You are absolutely certain about this wireless business?"

Charley smiled. "Absolutely," he said. "But to make sure, we'll go to our camp and talk to Willie. You can send a message to your a.s.sistant yourself."

"That'll settle it," said the forester.

He called his fire crew together. "Hustle right back to headquarters," he said. "The motor-truck will hold you all, though you may be a bit crowded. Leave my car where it is. I'm going to look around a bit. I'll follow you as soon as possible. Tell the a.s.sistant forester to call up the boy in Central City who telephoned us about the fire and arrange to keep in communication with him. We will communicate with that boy by wireless.

If fire occurs anywhere, let me know at once."

The fire fighters looked their astonishment, but made no comment. They were accustomed to obeying orders. Soon they were gone and the forester and the two boys headed up the run toward the little camp by the windrow.

"I guess we might as well get better acquainted," said the forester. "My name is Marlin--James Marlin."

"And mine," replied Charley, "is Charley Russell. This is Lew Heinsling.

As we told you yesterday, we are from Central City and belong to the Camp Brady Wireless Patrol."

"That is why you are now a fire guard," said the forester. "You don't suppose I would appoint an unknown boy to such an important post, do you?

To be sure, I don't know you personally, but I know about your organization and some of the things you have done. I know your leader, Captain Hardy, very well. You see your membership in that organization is recommendation enough for me."

"But I thought you suspected us of setting fire to the forest," said Charley.

"I never said so," replied Mr. Marlin. "I merely asked you if you had started the fire."

"It's pretty much the same thing," said Charley.

"Not at all, young man. Not at all. I did not really suspect you. But I saw there was a possibility that you might have done just what I suggested. I wanted to see what you would do when I suggested that you were the culprit. I could have told if you had lied to me."