Fire is the forest's worst enemy. In a
dry season like this Penetier would burn like tinder blown by a bellows.
Fire would race through here faster 'n a man could run. I'll need special
fire rangers, an' all other rangers must be trained to fight fire, an' then
any men living in or near the forest will be paid to help. The thing to do
is watch for the small fires an' put them out. Campers must be made to put
out their fires before leaving camp. Brush piles an' slashes mustn't be
burned in dry or windy weather."
Just where we left off talking I could not remember, for I dropped off to
sleep. I seemed hardly to have closed my eyes when the hunter called me in
the morning. The breakfast was smoking on the red-hot coals, and outside
the cabin all was dense gray fog.
When, soon after, we started down the canyon, the fog was lifting and the
forest growing lighter. Everything was as white with frost as if it had
snowed. A thin, brittle frost crackled under our feet. When we, had gotten
below the rocky confines of the canyon we climbed the slope to the level
ridge. Here it was impossible not to believe it had snowed. The forest was
as still as night, and looked very strange with the white aisles lined by
black tree trunks and the gray fog shrouding the tree-tops. Soon we were
climbing again, and I saw that Hiram meant to head the canyon where I had
left Dick.
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