They passed through the gap in the mountain and started to cross the bottom to the fire trail.  At the brook in the middle of the valley they paused to make one last cast in an especially inviting pool.  At that moment two men came out of a near-by thicket.  Both were smoking.  They were equipped like fishermen, though they had no fish.  They were rough looking, with hard faces.  One of them had an ugly scar above his right eye and showed a mouthful of gold teeth when he took his cigar from his mouth, as he asked, “What luck?”

“We’ve got a few,” replied Charley, extending his creel for their inspection.

The man looked at the fish and swore savagely.  “These kids have fished the brook out,” he growled.  “There’s no use trying this stream.  We’ll have to go on to the next valley.”

Charley was in a quandary.  These men, with their cigars, were a menace to the forest.  It made him nervous merely to look at the glowing tobacco and the careless way the men flicked the ashes about.  He was almost panic-stricken at the idea of their passing into his own valley while he was absent.  He did not know whether to tell them the truth about his fish or remain silent.  But he remembered that his watch in that valley was supposed to be a secret one, and he said nothing.  Afterward he was glad that he had remained silent.

“Come on,” said the man with the gold teeth.  “These kids have queered us here.  We’ll be moving.”

As he started away he gave Charley such a savage look that it almost frightened Charley.  It did worry and alarm him, for he could not help asking himself what he should do if he had to deal sternly with such a man.  Even with Lew at his side, he felt fearful.  Alone in the forest with such desperate-looking men, he knew that he would be helpless.

Then he remembered the automatic stowed in his hip pocket and felt relieved.  Now he understood much better why the ranger had given it to him.  The remembrance that he had this weapon stiffened his courage wonderfully.  He determined that if gun-play ever became necessary, he would not be caught napping.  At once he shifted the automatic to his coat pocket, where he could shoot without drawing the weapon, and where he could carry his hand without exciting suspicion.

“Gee!” whispered Lew, after the two men had passed out of hearing.  “I wouldn’t care to meet that pair after dark.”

“What I am afraid of,” said Charley, “is that they will set the forest afire.  They were mighty careless with their cigars.  Will they be any more careful with the butts when they have finished their smoke?  I don’t know but what we ought to trail them.  Yet we’ve got to meet Mr. Morton and I don’t want to be tardy.  I can’t make up my mind what we ought to do.”

After a moment’s consideration, he unjointed his rod, and started off in the direction from which the men had come.  “We’ll find Mr. Morton just as quick as we can,” he said with decision, “and tell him the situation.  Meantime, we’ll make sure those men didn’t start any fires up to this point.”