Charley rushed in and tenderly lifted his motionless pup from the ground.  There were tears in his eyes as he bore the little body to one side.  “Poor fellow,” he said, “I’ll miss you awfully.  I was counting on you a lot to help me guard this timber.  You did the best you knew how.  You thought you were helping me, didn’t you?”

He passed his hand across his eyes and faced the forester.  “It’s some consolation to know that that beast paid for this, and paid well.  I’m sure glad he’s dead.  It’s a good thing for the forest.”

“Yes, that’s a good job done,” replied the forester, “and a nice skin and a bounty for you.  That ought to be some consolation to you.  But I’m mighty sorry about the pup.  Whenever you can, get rid of those fellows.  How many young deer or other harmless animals do you suppose this fellow would have slaughtered before another spring?”

Making sure that the cat was really dead, the forester opened the trap.

Then he picked up the dead cat and led the way back to the tent.  “I’ll show you how to skin this fellow,” he said, and, taking out his knife, began to remove the hide.

“Gee!” exclaimed Charley.  “Wouldn’t the fellows like to know about this?” He looked at his watch.  “Some of them will surely be listening in,” he said.

Then he sat down beside his key, and while he watched the forester skin the wildcat, he kept his spark-gap snapping and cracking with the fat sparks from the new battery.  He was calling Lew.  He got no answer and flashed out the signal for the Wireless Patrol.  Almost immediately Henry answered.  His workshop was the headquarters of the Wireless Patrol.

“Hello, Henry,” rapped out Charley.  “Do you know where Lew is?”

“He’s right here,” came the answer.  “So are most of the other fellows.”

“Tell them,” replied Charley, “that we just caught the wildcat in the traps you sent, and Mr. Marlin is skinning it.  I’m going to get him to show me how to tan it.  When it’s done, I’m going to send it to the Wireless Patrol to help furnish our headquarters.  I’m going to add the eight dollars bounty money to the club fund for wireless equipment.”

Then came a long pause.  Finally this message came back to Charley.  “The Wireless Patrol thanks you, Charley, but we want you to sell the skin and use the money and the bounty to pay for the field-glasses you need.”

Charley turned away from his instrument with a suspicious moisture in his eyes.  It touched him deeply that his fellows were so solicitous concerning his welfare and success.  He did not realize that he was merely reaping the reward of his own kindly good nature, that had made him a general favorite with the boys of the Wireless Patrol.

There were no further alarms that night.  Early in the morning the ranger started back to his office, taking with him the letter to Lew.  Charley accompanied him part of the way.  Then he continued on his patrol.