“Let me introduce you to the Chief Forester of Pennsylvania,” said Mr. Marlin.  Charley was suddenly abashed.  He held out his hand and responded to the Commissioner’s greeting, but was at a joss for anything further to say.  He thought of his toast and coffee and was more than ever embarrassed, because he had only three slices to offer.  Nevertheless, he set what he had before his guests.

“I’m awfully sorry this is all I can offer you,” he said, “but I had some visitors yesterday who cleaned me out of food.”

“So I have heard,” replied the Chief Forester, with a smile.

“You will be glad to know, Charley,” said the forester, “that those same visitors have confessed to their crime, or rather Lumley did.  When we produced the thumb-prints in the putty and in the clay and compared them with Lumley’s thumbs, he made a clean breast of everything.  It won’t surprise you to learn that he set the previous fires in this virgin timber.  He wants to be state’s evidence.”

“Excellent!” cried Charley.  “They won’t burn any more forests—­or rob any more cabins.  By the way, Mr. Marlin, did you bring me any more supplies?”

“No,” said the forester.

Charley looked vastly perplexed, but said nothing.  He didn’t want to bother the forester, but how he was to live without food he could not imagine.  Evidently his face must have mirrored his thoughts, for the forester, after studying Charley’s countenance, burst into a laugh.

“Charley,” he said, “it’s clear that you don’t pay much attention to your Bible.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why, don’t you recall that we are admonished to take no thought for the morrow, as to what we shall eat, and so on?  Here you are worrying over a little matter like food.  Don’t you have any ravens out in these mountains to bring you grub if you get hungry?”

“It isn’t any laughing matter,” replied Charley.  “What am I going to do?  I haven’t an ounce of food left in the cabin.”

The forester’s eyes sparkled.  “Shall we tell him what he’s to do, Commissioner?” he asked.

The Chief Forester turned toward them with a smile.  “I guess you had better.  It would be a shame to torment this young man after what he has accomplished.”

“Very well, then.  Listen, Charley.  Here are your orders.  To begin with, Jim is now on deck again and you are relieved of your position as temporary ranger.”

Charley tried hard to choke back the lump that came into his throat.  Evidently his face betrayed his feelings.

“Look at him, Commissioner,” said the forester.  “I believe he’s going to pout.”

Charley bit his lip and tried to smile.

“In the second place,” continued the forester, “you are to remove your belongings from this post and oversee the cutting of the lumber operation.”

The smile that now came to Charley’s face was not forced.

“In the third place,” the forester went on, “you are hereby appointed a ranger in the Pennsylvania Forest Service to succeed one George Lumley.”