The Young Wireless Operator—As a Fire Patrol: Or, The Story of a Young Wireless Amateur Who Made Good as a Fire PatrolTheiss, Lewis E. (Lewis Edwin)
General
The Young Wireless Operator—As a Fire Patrol: Or, The Story of a Young Wireless Amateur Who Made Good as a Fire Patrol
Theiss, Lewis E. (Lewis Edwin)
Forest fires -- Prevention and control -- Juvenile fiction; Radio operators -- Juvenile fiction
The forester himself helped Charley move his belongings from Lumley's
house to the new cabin. While Mr. Marlin was loading Charley's other
luggage on his truck, Charley was dismantling his wireless. When he
removed the lead-in wire from the window-sash, he noticed Lumley's
finger-marks in the puttied crack and told Mr. Marlin about the ranger's
fit of temper. When everything was finally packed, Charley thanked Mrs.
Lumley for her hospitality and then climbed into the waiting truck.
As he sat down beside the forester, he sighed with relief. Merely to get
away from Lumley's house made him feel as though a burden had been lifted
from his shoulders. Mr. Marlin laughed at him, but that did not disturb
Charley. He had never been able to rid himself of his feeling of distrust
for Lumley, and he felt oppressed when he was in the Lumley home.
Charley and the forester carried Charley's possessions from the truck to
the new cabin. A tiny stove had been brought along for Charley to cook on.
Although it was so small, it was heavy enough. Between that and the
battery, the two had all the carrying they wanted before everything was
finally placed in the cabin.
Charley fastened his aerial between the fire-tower and his old watch
tree, which was still standing, but which had been shorn of most of its
branches to allow the watchman in the tower to see past it. Finally,
everything was complete. The wireless was in working condition, Charley's
few furnishings were in place, the stores put away, and the cabin was
fully ready for his occupancy.
Immediately Charley called up Mrs. Morton on the telephone and asked her
to talk to him on the wireless. A moment later their invisible messages
were speeding back and forth over the miles of billowing pine tops that
intervened between the two little forest homes, and no listener in on the
department telephone system could either know that they were talking or
tell what they said. Charley was overjoyed when Mrs. Morton told him that
her husband was about ready to come back to work. His arm was still
painful and he could not use it much, but he could now get around well and
was fast becoming strong again.
When Charley told the forester the news, the latter expressed his
pleasure. He studied Charley's face a moment to see how Charley felt over
the news.
"You realize what it means to you when Jim is able to do his work again,
do you?" asked Mr. Marlin.
"Certainly," said Charley. A feeling of regret passed through his mind and
was mirrored on his face. But there was nothing unkind or unfair about
it. "Maybe some day I'll qualify as a real ranger," sighed Charley, "but
I'm glad I had this opportunity to learn something."
"Charley," continued the forester, "you've earned the right to see this
lumber operation through. It's a big responsibility. You've worked night
and day to get ready for the job. Do you think I'm the kind of man who
would rob you of the reward that you have justly earned?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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