and day to get ready for the job. Do you think I'm the kind of man who
would rob you of the reward that you have justly earned?"

"I don't exactly understand," said Charley.

"I mean," replied the forester, "that no matter whether Jim gets well in
time or not, you are going to handle the lumber operation in this
district. Jim can do something else. There's plenty of work for a dozen
rangers. You are to be the boss of this job."

"Do you really mean it?" cried Charley in delight.

"Surely I mean it," said the forester. "It wouldn't be a fair deal not to
let you take charge after the way you've tried to qualify for the work."

Charley held out his hand. "Thanks," was all that he could say, for a lump
came into his throat.

"And while we are talking about the lumber job," the forester went on, "I
want to say that I was never so badly fooled about anything in my life.
The cut isn't coming anywhere near my estimate. It must be five to ten
thousand feet per acre less than I thought it would run. I guess the Big
Chief at Harrisburg will think I'm a pretty poor timber cruiser."

"How's that?" asked Charley.

"Well, you remember the day I first met you in the forest, Charley, I was
cruising with two good timber estimators. They're skilled men. We were
making the estimate on which this sale was based. I sent in my estimate
and the department made its figures on that basis. But the timber that is