The Ranger Boys Outwit the Timber Thieves Part 3

"Well, that is a coincidence. I suppose you are going on to take a look at the cutting aren't you. This being your vacation time probably you are camping and travelling around a bit," and Howells glanced at the knapsacks and rifles which the boys had stacked near the door in the hall and which could be plainly seen from the living room.

d.i.c.k was about to say something when he caught a meaning glance from Garry, which was also seen by Phil, and which the boys interpreted as a desire on the part of Garry to do any necessary explaining that might have to be done.

"Yes, we were in this vicinity and thought that we would like to see how the experiment in summer cutting was coming along," he told Howells.

"That's fine, then I shall see you around there a good deal as I am scaling. Of course coming from a lumbering family, I don't need to tell you that scaling means measuring the timber that is cut. I also do quite a bit of timber cruising, which, as you know, means travelling through the cutting, marking the trees that are fit to be cut. Your father is very particular about his lumbering, and he doesn't do as many of the other timber owners do, sweep clean through a tract of land, and make it worthless as timber land for years to come. His having certain trees marked for cutting means that every year there will be a growth suitable to cut and market and thus he is a.s.sured of a steady income from his tracts."

"Perhaps if you are not too busy every day, you could show us something of the lumbering operations. Although as you say, I come from a 'lumber family,' I don't know a great deal about timber cutting. About the only time I have ever been at the camps was at the spring drive, just to see the fight for the river, and neither of my chums know any more about it than I do. The first thing I would like to know is what did you mean by 'spiking a tree'?" asked Garry.

"I don't know that I can explain that to you without having you near a piece of big timber to demonstrate what I mean, but I will try and tell you as best I can. There is a certain way to cut a tree, or rather there is a certain place where one always starts to cut. This place is determined by the diameter of the tree. If the tree is two feet thick, the cutter measures up two feet from the ground to start his cut. Of course he does not measure it exactly, but long experience has taught him to estimate almost within an inch where to start. You know some trees are cut by axe; those are the smaller ones, but the bigger ones are sawed nearly all the way through, and then the axemen cut through just enough with their axes to cause the tree to break off and fall.

'Spiking a tree' means to take an estimate where the sawyers will start, and then drive several spikes in, using a nail set to drive them into the tree out of sight. The hole left will close up very rapidly, or a little dirt and moss can be stuck in so cleverly as to defy detection."

"But what harm does that do? I suppose it might kill the tree, but what difference does that make, since it is going to be cut down directly?"

quizzed Phil who was an interested listener.

"It doesn't harm an old tree, but this is what it does, or rather figure it out for yourselves. What happens when the saw strikes three or four heavy spikes, set in the tree just in the path of the blade?" asked Howells.

The truth flashed over the three boys in an instant, and immediately they felt that they accomplished one purpose of their mission to the woods. They had discovered one of the reasons for the delay in the cutting. If several saws were to be spoiled that meant a delay in getting new ones.

"Now here are two other things that a spike in a tree will do. If spikes are driven in young trees, several of them, that is trees that won't be cut for a few years, it means that it will cause the core or heart of the tree to rot or break the grain. Then when the tree is finally cut, a part of the lower trunk, or best part of the tree for lumber purposes, shatters just like so much gla.s.s when it falls. That's one thing a spike will do. Now here's another thing. Suppose that the mischief maker does not drive his spikes in the tree where the cut will be made, but climbs up twenty or thirty feet or so, and drives a dozen or two in different parts of the trunk of the tree. The tree trunk is cut safely and then it is drawn to the sawmill where it is sawed into planks. What happens when one of the big, expensive circular saws rips through a dozen spikes?

It's just goodbye to the saw and goodbye to a lot of money, and means a delay of several minutes until the saw can be replaced with another. And when you are cutting timber on a time contract with a penalty for every day's delay overtime that you take, a half an hour or so lost through trouble with your sawmill means a big thing. Then there are two other dangers. One is that the saw will fly off and hurt the millmen when it hits the spikes, and the other is that it sometimes will cause serious defects in the entire machinery, so that instead of just a few minutes'

delay to change saws, you waste a day or maybe two in repairing the machinery. So that's that." Howells concluded his long description of all the trouble one little handful of spikes could do, and then he looked rather searchingly at the boys. Finally he seemed to have decided in his own mind to say what he was thinking and he looked at Garry.

"I wonder if your father has any idea that someone is trying to hurt his business? I don't believe for an instant that those two scoundrels were driving those spikes just to make mischief. There is something deeper than that behind the whole business. There are scores of petty accidents occurring every week that all mean delay. Sometimes when the delays are totalled up they equal nearly half a day, and in one summer that means a long delay, a matter perhaps of two weeks. That two weeks is sufficient to spoil the contract and take all the profit away, but more than that, it means a loss of capital invested, for I happen to know that your father is cutting under a contract that provides a heavy penalty for failure to deliver goods as they are called for."

Garry debated with himself for a few moments, wondering whether or not to take Howells into his confidence and enlist his help. He realized that Howells, if he were honest as he seemed, would be an invaluable aid in discovering what the trouble at the camp was. His knowledge of timbering was extensive, Garry could see that with half an eye, and Garry understood that he and his chums could see lots of things happening right under their noses and never guess the malicious significance of the happenings.

As he thought, Mrs. Howells settled the question for him. Reaching down to one of the shelves in the library table about which they were sitting, she produced an alb.u.m.

"We are just old fas.h.i.+oned enough to have a family alb.u.m," she laughed.

"I thought perhaps you would like to see a picture taken of your father a great many years ago," and turning to one of the pages she showed Garry a picture that he recognized immediately. It showed his father with a sweet faced woman. "That is your father and Mr. Howells' mother.

She was his favorite cousin and she died a long time ago. This has always been in Arthur's possession."

Garry remembered having seen a counterpart of the picture at home a long time ago, and he decided that the timber sealer was not claiming any false relations.h.i.+p.

"I wonder how it is that we have never seen you before," he asked, turning to Howells.

"Easy, we went west when I was a youngster, and it was only this spring that we came back to Maine. I did not say anything about my relations.h.i.+p, for I want to go on my own hook. I am a graduate of a forestry school, and I wanted to get actual experience in the woods, which was why I asked for and received the position of timber sealer. I like to stand in my own shoes, and so I said nothing about my relations.h.i.+p to the manager at the camp. Then, too, I need money, as I have a small interest in a little tract of young timber, and I am paying on it a little at a time. By the time it is completely paid for it will be ready to cut, and there will be a handsome profit on the investment,"

he answered.

For a boy of his age, Garry was a pretty shrewd judge of character, and he had been sizing up young Howells while he was talking. So he made up his mind to take him into his confidence in a limited way, and so remarked:

"Yes, my father does know that there is something wrong at the camp, but he cannot put his finger on the spot where the trouble is. Every time he visits the camp things go along as smooth as clockwork, but it is impossible to put in all this time at this one thing when he has so many other irons in the fire. We thought that perhaps we could visit the camp for a while and find out what is wrong, and report to him so that he could remedy the trouble. But after hearing your story of the attempted spiking, I am beginning to think that the job is almost too much for us to handle. That would have been something I would never have dreamed of, and if the enemies in the camp, for enemies there must be, know a trick like that, they must have a bagfull of others of which we know nothing.

So you see that in a way we are helpless, and I am going to ask that you aid us in this. I can promise for my father that in case your aid is instrumental in locating the trouble that it will not be forgotten. What do you say? Will you help us?"

"Indeed I will," and Howells thrust forward his hand. "You can count on me to the last ditch!"

"Thanks," said Garry as he took the proffered hand. "Now there is one thing to do, and that is to make sure that Baptiste LeBlanc is not in these parts any more, for wherever the name of LeBlanc gets. .h.i.tched up with us there is trouble brewing!"

CHAPTER IV

THE PERIL OF THE CIRCUS

Mrs. Howells pressed the boys to remain for supper, saying they would find it much more pleasant to eat in the house than to cook by the roadside somewhere. It had got quite dark at this time, and so they decided to accept the invitation so cordially given.

The fine meal was soon served, and as they ate, Garry told of some of their adventures with Jean LeBlanc, in order to explain why they were so startled when that name was first mentioned by Howells.

Supper over they talked for some time and then Garry proposed to his chums that they get their packs and journey on for a bit till they could find a place to throw their blankets for the night.

The Howells protested vigorously at this, but could offer them nothing as their cottage was not large enough to accommodate them.

The boys laughed and said they were so used to sleeping in the open that it would never hurt them. "If you are bound to sleep outdoors you can use the back yard or you can spread your blankets on the living room floor," said Howells. "One can take the couch there. You'll have to toss for it, though."

After much pressure the boys decided to do this, and accordingly goodnights were said. It was a custom of the boys to draw lots to settle all arguments, so hustling into the kitchen Garry raided the broom of three straws of unequal length and then brought them back for his chums to draw.

d.i.c.k was the lucky chap to get the couch. With a grin he spread his blankets and remarked to the others that he hoped the floor would not be too hard.

"What's the diff?" inquired Phil. "There isn't much difference between the ground and a floor and we aren't in the woods so we can't cut branches to make one of nature's mattresses with. Stop your chatter. I'm off to sleep," and indeed he was in a few moments.

To Garry however, sleep did not come so easily for he was thinking of the events of the evening, and wondering what he and his chums could do to checkmate the schemes of the unknown enemies that were causing all the trouble at the lumber camp. But Garry was a healthy growing boy, and not to be denied his sleep, so soon he consigned the cares of the day to oblivion and in a few moments was fast asleep.

Howells was up before the boys, and started the coffee, and in a few moments his wife was downstairs and busying herself about the breakfast.

They let the boys sleep until it was almost ready, then awoke them. The boys protested against all the trouble they were causing their hosts, but their protests were only half hearted for the smell of the boiling coffee and the frying bacon were so tempting that it would have taken a team of horses to drive them away without eating.

Breakfast over, they took their leave, first inquiring about the way that lay ahead. They found that they would go nearly twenty-five miles before coming to another town, as the way ran through the last of the farming country before striking the edge of the big timber country.

"The camp is ten miles or so beyond the village that you will come to, and it will take you at least a day to get to the village, so you will not reach the camp until nearly noon of tomorrow. There's a good chance that you will get a lift, however, for there is a circus there today, and you should find a great many people on the road. Don't be bashful about hailing them and asking for a lift. It is a customary thing to do in this part of the country. I will see you in a couple of days, as I will go back on duty at the camp then," said Howells.

"Just one thing if you don't mind," interposed Garry. "When you come to the camp, do not let on that you are already acquainted with us, because if we are to work together we can do a lot better if there is no inkling of our acquaintance."

"That's a good idea, and that way it'll be," agreed Howells.

"What say, let's take this in a hurry and see how many miles we can cover this morning," suggested d.i.c.k.

The others stopped short in their tracks.

"Listen, Phil, unstrap your canteen while I feel his pulse. There's something the matter with d.i.c.k. He wants to hurry. If it was later in the day I would say that he had been a bit touched by the sun, but it is early and cool, and I think he is just sick," said Garry solicitously.

"Lazy d.i.c.k wants to hurry!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Phil in amazement. "What's the big idea?"

d.i.c.k turned red and lunged at his chums. He was used to their ragging him on account of his willingness to take the easiest way of doing things. Of course they knew that he never s.h.i.+rked his duty when called upon, and they never questioned his bravery at any time, but he always got so fussed when they ragged him about his weight and his easy way of taking life, that they never let an opportunity pa.s.s to tease him about it. After a short scuffle, they stopped laughing and Garry said:

"Seriously, d.i.c.k, why do you want to hurry? We are well up on our schedule and you don't need to rush like mad."

"I just wanted to see what we could do if we had to," said d.i.c.k; "and furthermore, I wanted to show you for once that I could walk as fast and as long as either of you chaps, that's all. Let's go."