His head disappeared from the level of the bank; the solitude was again unbroken.

Only two objects remained upon the edge of the ravine,--his revolver and tobacco pouch.
A few minutes elapsed.

A fearless blue-jay alighted on the bank and made a prospecting peck at the tobacco pouch.

It yielded in favor of a gopher, who endeavored to draw it toward his hole, but in turn gave way to a red squirrel, whose attention was divided, however, between the pouch and the revolver, which he regarded with mischievous fascination.
Then there was a splash, a grunt, a sudden dispersion of animated nature, and the head of Mr.Lance Harriott appeared above the bank.

It was a startling transformation.