Perhaps he was most worried by the fact that he could not talk to Mr. Marlin about the matter.  Of course, he could have used the telephone, but the idea of discussing his difficulties before the Lumley family was so repugnant to him that he could not bring himself to attempt it.  So he decided to get up his wireless at once.  Then he could talk to Mr. Morton and Lumley could not understand what was being said.  He felt free to tell the Mortons anything.  By this time Mrs. Morton could operate the wireless readily and her husband was learning fast.  So Charley hurried to eat his supper and get his wireless installed.

He foresaw that Lumley would insist upon helping him.  He steeled his mind to the event and accepted the proffered assistance with the best grace he could.  Afterward he thanked his lucky stars that he had done so.

While there was still light enough out-of-doors, Charley assembled and hoisted his aerial; and Lumley, who was really dexterous, was of great help to him.  As soon as the aerial dangled aloft, Lumley got tools to bore a hole in the window-sash for the lead-in wire.

Now Charley got another insight into Lumley’s character.  It was a little difficult to make the hole just where it was wanted.  Lumley instantly became impatient and went ahead recklessly.  Suddenly his bit snapped.  With a volley of oaths, Lumley threw down his brace and hammered the broken bit out of the window-frame.  In doing so, he broke out a long splinter of wood, leaving a gaping crack in the sash.  He swore until he was out of breath.  Then he got some putty and puttied up the hole, forcing the putty into the crack with his thumbs.  Then the wire was brought in through the sash and Charley began wiring up his instruments.  But it had taken half an hour to accomplish what five minutes of patience would have done.  Charley was utterly disgusted with the ranger’s show of temper.

As he coupled up the instruments, he answered, as politely as he could, the ranger’s numberless questions.  Behind every question he saw, or thought he could see, some ulterior motive.  By every means he could, Lumley was trying to find out all that was possible about Charley and his relations with the forester.  And Charley could see that Lumley was envious of his intimacy with Mr. Marlin and jealous of him because, though a mere boy, he was already as high up in the service as Lumley was after years in the department.  Charley realized that this was an unfair way to view the matter, as he, Charley, was not really a ranger, and did not expect to continue as a ranger after Mr. Morton was well enough to resume his duties.  But he could see that Lumley took no account of that.  He began to understand that it was the man’s nature to be suspicious and jealous.

That was clear enough from Lumley’s remarks about himself; for again he repeated the story of his family’s former ownership of the big timber, and of how he had been robbed of his heritage.  Charley felt sure the man had brooded over the matter until his judgment was warped.  He listened, however, without comment.