The Forester 



Carroll De Wilton Scott 

 San Diego, California 



ACT I. THE CAMPERS 



Time, late summer; scene, a natural park in the California 

 mountains, altitude about 6,000 feet; in a forest of oak, fir and 

 incense cedar. A group of campers are just finishing their 

 breakfast under a black oak. Their camp-fire is still smoulder- 

 ing ; it is built against an old stump . The party is James Williams 

 a rich, retired cattleman, his wife, his daughter, MoUie and a 

 hunter friend, Fred Wymans. Their camp auto is near by. 

 WILLIAMS 



Well, Fred, what's our program today? 

 WYMANS 



I hate to go back without a buck. Do you think we would 

 have any luck on Big Horn Mountain? 

 WILLIAMS 



I think we might start a buck in there. I used to get one in 

 there any time in the old days. You know Fred I used to control 

 all these mountains — ran 20,000 head of cattle in here once. 

 But the government with its meddling forest rangers has sur- 

 veyed and cleared and fenced and postered the land until it's 

 like a city park. We did what we liked in the old days — no fences, 

 no laws, no supervisors. And deer — why they were tame as 

 calves. And lions too — also tame. Let me see I think it was 

 right on this slope that I had a tiff with a big cat. I had shot 

 a deer and laid it on a fallen trunk. An hour later when I re- 

 turned a huge mountain lion was quietly eating my deer. Do 

 you think he sneaked off and left me the remainder? Not much ! 

 He bristled up and snarled at my intrusion like a pussy with 

 a mouse, as much as to say, "all the deer in this forest belong to 

 me." I was so taken aback by his bluff that I just stared at 

 him while he walked away with the half-eaten buck. 

 WYMANS 



The cats are as wild as the deer now and as scarce. The old 

 days are gone forever. 



333 



