But Jesse became quite dismal. "I'm not reckoned," he bemoaned himself, "among the popular attractions. The neighbors shies at coming near my ranch."
"Well, if you protect grizzlies and hunt sportsmen, surely it's not surprising."
"Can't please all parties, eh? Wall, perhaps that's how the herd is grazing. Yes. Come to think of it, I remember oncet a Smithsonian grave robber comes to inspect South Cave. He said I'd got a boneyard of some ancient people, and he'd rob graves to find out all about them olden times. He wanted to catch the atmosphere of them days, so I sort of helped. Robbing graves ain't exactly a holy vocation, the party had a mean eye, a German name, and a sort of patronizing manner, but still I helped around to get him atmosphere, me and Eph."
"Who's Eph?"
"Oh, he's just a silver-tip, what scientific parties calls ursus horribilis ord. You just cast your eye where the trickle stream falls below my cabin. D'ye see them sarvis berry bushes down below the spray?"
"Where the bushes are waving? Oh, look, there's a gigantic grizzly standing up, and pulling the branches!"
"Yes, that's Eph.
"Wall, as I was telling you, Eph and me is helping this scientific person to get the atmosphere of them ancient times."
"But the poor man would die of fright!"
"Too busy running. When he reached Vancouver, he was surely a cripple though, and no more use to science."