“Supper is ready,” announced Lew.

The three entered the tent, where Lew had hung the lighted candle lantern, and in the growing darkness ate their meal.

“It seems to me,” suggested Lew, “that it would be best to leave the camp right where it is.  If we move it, that will indicate that we know its location has been discovered.  If we let it remain where it is, these men won’t know whether we are aware if their visit here or not.”

“You’ve a good head on you, young man,” said the ranger approvingly.  “That’s exactly the thing to do.  Besides, if we moved it and Bill Collins wanted to find it, he’d stick right to the job until he succeeded.  But I don’t believe he has any interest in watching this camp or in staying in this forest.  It isn’t a healthful place for him and he knows it.  You see, Bill and I are old acquaintances.  It’s my opinion that he came in here for some particular purpose and that he’ll get right out the instant that purpose is accomplished.  Those men didn’t have any packs, did they?”

“Not a sign of a pack,” replied Charley.  “Their coat pockets bulged out as though they had sandwiches or something in them, but they hadn’t a thing in their hands or on their backs except fishing-rods and creels.”

“That settles it,” said the ranger.  “They can’t stay here more than forty-eight hours at the most.  And there’s no danger of their telling anybody else about your camp because they won’t want anybody to know they were here.  We’ll just consider the camp situation settled.”

They finished their supper and had begun clear up the dishes when suddenly Charley thought of the fire-clay.  “Oh!  I have something to show you,” he cried, and went to the corner of the tent to get the clay ball.  It was just where Charley had left it, but the instant he picked it up he was somehow conscious that it was different.  He held the ball up and looked at it critically.  Then he hefted it in his hand.

“Lew,” he exclaimed, “how big was that ball of clay we took for a sample?”

“Four or five inches in diameter,” rejoined Lew.  “Why?”

“Look at that.  It isn’t a bit more than three inches thick.  I was sure we had more clay than that.  I meant to make a little pot of it.”

“We did have more.  I’m sure of it.  You don’t suppose those men could have taken any of it, do you?”

“Let me see,” said the ranger.

He took the ball and examined it critically.  “That looks like fire-clay.  If it is, and the deposit is of any size, you have found something of value.  You know the state sells things like that on a royalty basis.  We might be able to develop a good clay business.  We like to work up all the business we can, because the revenues go toward the purchase of the equipment we need.  You know the legislature won’t give us all we need to buy implements for fighting fires, and for fire-towers, and other equipment.”

“If we could make a fire,” said Charley, “you could soon tell whether it is good fire-clay or not.”