be dandy?" With practiced eye he once more glanced over the outfit to make
sure everything was there. Then he tied the box up again.

"I'll just take it back with me," he added. "This goes to your house, you
know, and you can pick it up on your way home. We'll take it as far as the
battery and leave it there."

They strode rapidly along the trail, and in half an hour reached the
battery where the ranger had set it down. Some traps lay on top of the
battery.

"I forgot to bring them sooner," said the ranger.

Charley lifted the box. "How in the world," he said, "did you ever pack
that thing over these mountains on your back? Why, you've carried that
more than four miles."

"We'll cut a couple of saplings and tie them to the box for handles," said
the ranger. "Then we can carry it easily. Give me your axe."

Charley handed his little axe to the ranger, and began to fumble in his
pocket for the cord which he had used as a leash for his dog. The ranger
looked around him for suitable poles. Close by the trail lay the rotting
trunk of a large tree that had fallen years before. On the far side of
this log and close to it some fine saplings had grown up, probably made
thrifty by the rotting wood of the great tree. The ranger reached over the
log to chop a sapling. At the same instant the pup, ranging in the bushes,
growled savagely. Momentarily the ranger lifted his eyes, letting his axe
head sink to the ground. Something moved under it, and at the same instant
a hideous head reared itself above the leaves and struck with