Page:Edward Ellis--Alden the Pony Express Rider.djvu/193

 “He is an old hunter, but not too old to make a mistake now and then. Sometimes too wild animals leave their habitats and wander far afield.’

This high sounding sentence was framed purposely for the mystification of Jethro, who repeated wonderingly:

“What am a habitat? Do you mean a rousing big grizzly?’

“The habitat of an animal is the region where he makes his home: sometimes a wild beast takes it into his head to stray a good many miles from where he has been brought up and educated. There would be nothing wonderful in our meeting a grizzly bear this minute.”

“Gorrynation! You doan’ say so!” exclaimed Jethro glancing on each side and behind them.

“Won’t you be glad to bag one of the monsters?”

“O yas, I ’spose so, but Mr. Shagbark spoke about another kind ob bear dat he said was almost as bad as de grizzly.”

“What is its name?”

“He called it a nutmeg or clove bear—I disremember which.”