“They want the survey finished by the end of the week. I think they’ve even got Sergeant Martin and a couple of his officers pitching in to get it done.” Ranger Brock had been helping with a land survey being conducted by the Forestry Service, and had been putting in a string of twelve-hour days the last week or so. He hadn’t said much about the survey, but it was obvious to everyone there was something about it that concerned him. “Have a good day at school,” he said. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Phyllis filled the ranger’s thermos with coffee, then followed him out the door to see him off.

“Are you okay?” Noble asked Argus the moment Phyllis and Ranger Brock were gone.

“I’m fine,” Argus snapped. Then he sighed and said, “I don’t know.”

Noble, Tora, and Harlan all stopped eating for the moment and looked at their brother.

“Did any of you notice anything strange out on the trail this morning?”

“It was wet,” Harlan stated. “Lots of rain and fog, even for that time of day.”

Argus shook his head. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean?” Tora asked.

“Did you see anything strange out there?”

Noble pressed him. “Strange like what?”

Argus gave the question some thought. He wanted to tell them what he’d seen, but the truth was that he wasn’t sure anymore. None of the others had noticed anything odd this morning, or even sensed anything unusual out on the trail. Should he tell them that he’d seen some sort of ghost or phantom? If he had to put a name to it, that’s what he’d call it, but telling them that would only get him laughed at, especially by Harlan who was always up for anything that made his big brother look foolish.

In the end, Argus cracked a smile and said, “Strange…like Harlan being able to keep up with Tora the entire way.”

Tora chuckled. Noble laughed out loud. Harlan’s brow furrowed and his lips turned down in a frown. He gave Argus a punch in the arm and said, “Not funny!”

Argus returned the punch, catching Harlan’s right bicep with the point of a knuckle.

“Ow!” Harlan cried.

“C’mon, I didn’t hit you that hard,” Argus reasoned.

“You did too,” Harlan said, raising his fist to return the blow.

Just then, Phyllis stepped back into the kitchen. “That’s enough, Harlan. Stop picking on your brother.”

“But I didn’t do anything!”

Argus took the opportunity to wince and rub his shoulder, making it look as though Harlan had already hit him with a hard blow that would leave him sore for days.

“Sorry, Argus,” Phyllis said, “but Tora’s the actor in the family.”

Argus straightened his body, the pain in his arm suddenly gone.