THE LOG OF A TIMBER 

 CRUISER 



CHAPTER I 

 THE RECONNAISSANCE PARTY 



I WAS under appointment as Forest Guard on the 

 Gila National Forest when the opportunity to take 

 up reconnaissance work came. The Supervisor's 

 letter was brief. It ran as follows: 



"We can use another man on the Gila Cruising party 

 which will work the Black Range this summer; would you 

 like the assignment? If so, report to "Walter C. Frazer, 

 Chief of Party, at Silver City, not later than May 1. You 

 will receive your present salary of $900 per annum with 

 expenses while in the field. The work, it is expected, will 

 last about six months. 



"You are perfectly free to accept or decline the offer of 

 this position. I will say, however, that unless you are 

 opposed for personal reasons to tackling reconnaissance, the 

 present chance to learn the methods of this branch of silvi- 

 culture is an excellent one. ' ' 



Though somewhat flattered by the offer, my first 

 impulse was to decline it. I had heard much of 

 reconnaissance the cruising of timbered areas and 

 the topographical mapping of regions usually wild 



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