“It looks to me,” remarked Charley, “as though there isn’t a soul in this region except ourselves.  If that is so, it is the best possible time to do a little exploring.  Suppose we take a look at the valley above our camp.  We can cover a lot of ground between now and noon and yet get back here for another observation during the dinner hour.  We ought to be in this watch-tower or at some other point equally good every time men would naturally be having fires, and that means morning, noon, and night.  Between times we can explore the forest.  It means some pretty stiff hiking, but I guess we can stand it.”

They drew their map and compared it with the country as it actually appeared.

“We aren’t so far from the end of the state land in this direction,” commented Lew.  “That’s the very place you suggested exploring.  We might look up the line, as Mr. Morton suggested.  You notice the stand of pines ends a long distance this side of the line.  That’s all hardwood forest up that way.”

“The sooner we get at it, the better,” agreed Charley.

Carefully they descended the tree, picked up their fishing-rods, and hastened down the mountainside as fast as it was safe to travel.  The nearer they came to the centre of the valley, the larger the trees grew.  Evidently the rich soil had worked down into the bottom, during the centuries, and the tree growth was enormous.  Under these huge trees there was no underbrush, and the two boys could make fast time.  They approached the stream, which flowed swiftly along under the tall pines, where they had no doubt trout innumerable lurked in the shadowy depths.  The temptation to stop and fish was strong, but they put it aside and pushed on up the valley.

For a long time they passed like ghosts among the pines.  The earth was springy with the accumulated needles of many years, into which their feet sank silently.  Under the huge trees everything seemed to be hushed.  There was no wind to set the pines awhispering, and the music of the brook stole through the forest like the low singing of a muted violin string.

For a long distance they passed through a pure stand of pines.  Then the character of the forest began to change.  Soon they were in a mixed growth, and not long afterward they found practically nothing but deciduous trees about them.

“We’re not far from the line now,” suggested Lew.  “This must be the stand of hardwoods we saw from the lookout tree.  I doubt if it is more than half a mile to the line.”

“Keep your eyes open for blazed trees,” said Charley.  “We ought to see some before many minutes.”

They had gone on, perhaps a quarter of a mile, when Lew said, “It looks pretty thin ahead.  Either there is a natural opening in the forest or else the timber has been cut out.”

Charley thought of what Mr. Morton had told him about timber thieves operating along the boundary lines.  He was glad that he had decided to explore this particular section of his district.  A moment later he was still more glad, for the stillness of the morning air was suddenly broken by a splitting, rending sound, which was followed by the crash of a great tree as it came thundering to earth.  There could be no mistaking the sound.  A tree had been felled.  Both boys stopped dead in their tracks and looked questioningly at each other.