Presently Lumley began to make insinuations about the forester, telling Charley that Mr. Marlin had been as much the child of luck as he had himself; but Mr. Marlin had had all the good luck, while he had had all the bad luck.  When he spoke of Mr. Marlin’s rise from the ranks, Charley could see plainly enough that Lumley was green with jealousy.  He thought he ought not to listen to such talk, and telling Lumley flatly that Mr. Marlin’s industry, he was sure, was the main reason for his success, Charley turned the conversation into more agreeable channels.  Finally Charley finished coupling up his instruments and tested his spark.

“It’s a slower way to talk,” said the ranger as he watched Charley adjust his spark-gap, “but I can see that it beats the telephone all hollow.  Why, a wind-storm, or a snow, or a thunder-storm can put the telephone out of business quicker than you can say scat, and it may take hours and hours to find the trouble and remedy it.  I guess you couldn’t put the wireless out of commission, could you?”

“That’s where you are wrong,” smiled Charley.  “A piece of iron laid across the terminals for half an hour would put this battery completely out of business.”

How easily the telephone could be put out of business was soon shown; for the very next day a terrific wind-storm came along, uprooting large trees, wrenching loose great limbs which it hurled for many yards, bending flat some of the smaller, weaker saplings and ripping its way through the forest with a roar indescribable.  Charley was with his crew brushing out the fire trail.  The wind was accompanied by some rain, and the crew sought shelter under an overhanging ledge of rock.  While they waited for the storm to blow itself out, Charley turned the situation over in his mind.  Hurricanes were something he had never thought to ask Mr. Marlin about.  He felt sure the storm would mean some new duty for him, but he did not know exactly what.  He hesitated to ask his crew, for he did not want to betray his ignorance.  But a chance remark one of his men dropped about repairing the telephone-line furnished a clue for Charley.  He thought the matter over, and by the time the storm had ended, Charley had come to a decision.  Right or wrong, he determined to act promptly.

“I want one of you to help me look after the telephone-line,” he said, picking out one of the crew.  “The rest of you can go on with the fire trail.”

With this helper, he made his way out to the telephone-line and followed it the entire length of his territory.  In several places saplings had blown across it.  One tree, partly uprooted, was leaning against it.  And in one place the line was actually broken.  Charley had no tools for handling wire, and he decided that he would henceforth carry a pair of nippers in his clothes.  Fortunately for Charley, the wire had stretched so much before it broke that he and the man were able to get the broken ends together and give them a twist.  The repair was temporary, but it would answer until a permanent job could be done.  When Charley reported to headquarters that night, the chief commended him for his good judgment in repairing the telephone-line so promptly.