various types towered around them. The air was chill, and rosy gray morning light misted through the leaves. Lei could hear the birds singing in the distance, high, sweet notes like drifting petals.
“ These don’t look indigenous,” Lei said, gesturing to the trees as they started down a rugged red-dirt road into a dense, diverse forest.
“ No, they’re not. These are an experimental grove of trees planted by Ralph Hosmer, a territorial forester, around the turn of the century. He was trying to find types of trees that could be harvested for lumber in Hawaii,” Takama said. The two rangers strode rapidly, and Lei jogged a bit to keep up, turning her head to take everything in.
“ Seems like he found some lumber that liked it here.” Lei pointed to a towering tree she kept noticing, shedding bark in colored ribbons.
“ Eucalyptus. They grow well here and were used to create erosion breaks all over Haleakala. But they also have spread out of control and they have highly acidic footing that keeps other vegetation from growing. Also, the lumber is too splintery to use.”
“ What a waste.”
“ A lot of our early attempts to figure out land use and crops in Hawaii were.”
They walked on. Lei’s running shoes raised little puffs of fine red dirt. The trees rustled and squeaked in a cool morning wind high above them. Far off, she could hear the native birds. Her heart rate settled and her mind stilled as she breathed the pine-scented air.
“ Tell us more about what you know about the camper,” Pono said.
“I didn’t know about him,” Takama said.
“Some of us who patrol through the forest began spotting things that looked like more than just a hunter passing through. Evidence of fire covered up. A forest latrine. Things like that,” Jacobsen said. “I mentioned it to the Hawaii Bird Conservatory people.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” Lei asked.
“I’m sorry . I was so distracted I didn’t think of it.”
“Do you think a hunter built the blinds?”
Takama shrugged. “The one we found already seems more like a bird observation post than a hunting blind.”
“Yes,” Jacobsen agreed. “I’ve found a couple of others. They are usually located in good bird observation areas rather than the areas ungulates typically go once they get inside the fence.”
Lei glanced at Jacobsen. “Ungulates?”
“ Hoofed invasive animals. Goat, pig, axis deer. Easier to say than have to list the types every time.” Jacobsen held a branch aside for her. “They typically forage along paths because it’s easier access for them. They also have stream areas where they like to drink. These places would make more sense for a hunter to build a blind.” He paused, then blew out a breath. “I have a theory. This camper is someone who has worked with one of the conservation agencies and come back to the forest for his or her own reasons. Seems to have a degree of forest survival skills and to know where to observe birds, not something a total stranger to the forest would know.”
“ That’s a good lead,” Lei said. “I’ll contact the agencies for a list of people who’ve worked with them when we get back.”
They ’d continued descending gently toward the cloud forest area and now were leaving the varied pines of Hosmer’s forestry experiment behind. “Not long until we get to the helicopter landing area,” Jacobsen said. “I thought we could start at the crime scene and backtrack to some of the sites we think the hunter has visited. See if we can pick up any evidence of him.”
“ I like your theory as much as Lei does,” Pono said to Jacobsen. “If we can get a fingerprint, something from the camper, we might be able to identify this guy.”
“ I don’t know,” Lei said, pulling Pono aside to whisper so the rangers wouldn’t hear. “Just because we identify the camper doesn’t mean he killed the bird hunter. And have you thought that the bird hunter might be the
“ These don’t look indigenous,” Lei said, gesturing to the trees as they started down a rugged red-dirt road into a dense, diverse forest.
“ No, they’re not. These are an experimental grove of trees planted by Ralph Hosmer, a territorial forester, around the turn of the century. He was trying to find types of trees that could be harvested for lumber in Hawaii,” Takama said. The two rangers strode rapidly, and Lei jogged a bit to keep up, turning her head to take everything in.
“ Seems like he found some lumber that liked it here.” Lei pointed to a towering tree she kept noticing, shedding bark in colored ribbons.
“ Eucalyptus. They grow well here and were used to create erosion breaks all over Haleakala. But they also have spread out of control and they have highly acidic footing that keeps other vegetation from growing. Also, the lumber is too splintery to use.”
“ What a waste.”
“ A lot of our early attempts to figure out land use and crops in Hawaii were.”
They walked on. Lei’s running shoes raised little puffs of fine red dirt. The trees rustled and squeaked in a cool morning wind high above them. Far off, she could hear the native birds. Her heart rate settled and her mind stilled as she breathed the pine-scented air.
“ Tell us more about what you know about the camper,” Pono said.
“I didn’t know about him,” Takama said.
“Some of us who patrol through the forest began spotting things that looked like more than just a hunter passing through. Evidence of fire covered up. A forest latrine. Things like that,” Jacobsen said. “I mentioned it to the Hawaii Bird Conservatory people.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” Lei asked.
“I’m sorry . I was so distracted I didn’t think of it.”
“Do you think a hunter built the blinds?”
Takama shrugged. “The one we found already seems more like a bird observation post than a hunting blind.”
“Yes,” Jacobsen agreed. “I’ve found a couple of others. They are usually located in good bird observation areas rather than the areas ungulates typically go once they get inside the fence.”
Lei glanced at Jacobsen. “Ungulates?”
“ Hoofed invasive animals. Goat, pig, axis deer. Easier to say than have to list the types every time.” Jacobsen held a branch aside for her. “They typically forage along paths because it’s easier access for them. They also have stream areas where they like to drink. These places would make more sense for a hunter to build a blind.” He paused, then blew out a breath. “I have a theory. This camper is someone who has worked with one of the conservation agencies and come back to the forest for his or her own reasons. Seems to have a degree of forest survival skills and to know where to observe birds, not something a total stranger to the forest would know.”
“ That’s a good lead,” Lei said. “I’ll contact the agencies for a list of people who’ve worked with them when we get back.”
They ’d continued descending gently toward the cloud forest area and now were leaving the varied pines of Hosmer’s forestry experiment behind. “Not long until we get to the helicopter landing area,” Jacobsen said. “I thought we could start at the crime scene and backtrack to some of the sites we think the hunter has visited. See if we can pick up any evidence of him.”
“ I like your theory as much as Lei does,” Pono said to Jacobsen. “If we can get a fingerprint, something from the camper, we might be able to identify this guy.”
“ I don’t know,” Lei said, pulling Pono aside to whisper so the rangers wouldn’t hear. “Just because we identify the camper doesn’t mean he killed the bird hunter. And have you thought that the bird hunter might be the
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