very wrong to accept a man's hospitality, even if he was to pay well for
it, and at the same time be suspicious of the man. But hardly had he
decided that he ought to be frank with his fellow ranger when Lumley began
asking questions that caused the feeling of distrust to return with
renewed force. Lumley's questions were intended to seem innocent enough;
but Charley was sharper than he perhaps looked, and he saw the real intent
behind the questions. The man was slyly trying to find out all he could
about Charley's history, and particularly how much Charley had been paid
as a fire patrol and what he was to get as a ranger.

Charley answered most of Lumley's questions openly enough, but could not
tell him what he was to get as a ranger, for he had never once thought
about the matter, nor had Mr. Marlin mentioned it. But when Charley told
Lumley so, he could see that the ranger did not believe him.

When the ranger began to question Charley about his recent work in the
woods, Charley answered him evasively. Lumley knew that Charley had been
acting as fire patrol, because Mr. Marlin had told him so. But Charley
felt very sure he did not know where the secret camp had been pitched, for
Mr. Marlin had distinctly said that matter was a secret between Charley
and himself. So Charley answered him evasively and soon turned the
conversation to other matters.

While Charley was arranging his duffel, two or three dirty youngsters came
bouncing into the room and at once began to drag Charley's wireless
apparatus from the pasteboard box. With a cry Charley sprang toward them
and snatched the instruments out of their hands. The ranger gave a savage
oath and aimed a kick at the lads, but they dodged and ran from the room.

At first Charley was terribly annoyed. But in a second he was glad the