"You had nothing to do with it," interrupted California John sharply; "I know that. But who did? Why did they do it? By God," he brought his fist down sharply, "I intend to get to the bottom of this! I've been in the Service since she started. I've served honest. No man can say I haven't done all my duty and been square. And that's been when every man-jack of them was getting his graft as reg'lar as his pay check. And since I've been Supervisor is the only time this Forest has ever been in any kind of shape, if I do say it myself. I've rounded her up. I've stopped the graft. I've fixed the 'soldiers.' I've got things in shape. They can't remove me without cause--I know that--and if they think I'm goin' to lie down and take it without a kick, they've got off the wrong foot good and plenty!"
Thorne sat tight, nor offered a word of comment.
"You've been an inspector," California John appealed to him. "You've been all over the country among the different reserves. Ain't mine up to the others?"
"Things are in better shape here than in any of them," replied Thorne decisively; "your rangers have more _esprit de corps_, your neighbours are better disposed, your fires have a smaller percentage of acreage, your trails are better."
"Well," repeated Thorne leaning forward, "just this. What's the use of it all?"
"Yes. Of what you and all the rest of us are doing."
"That's part of it; and that's the part you've been doing superlatively well. It's the old idea, that: the idea expressed by the old name--the Forest _Reserves_--to save, to set aside. It seemed the most important thing. The forests had so many eager enemies--unprincipled land-grabbers and lumbermen, sheep, fire. To beat these back required all our best efforts. It was all we could think of. We hadn't time to think of anything else. It was a full job."
"You bet it was," commented the old man grimly.
"Well, it's done. There will be attempts to go back to the old state of affairs, but they will grow feebler from year to year. Things will never slide back again. The people are awake."
"I know it. Now comes the new idea. We no longer speak of Forest Reserves, but of National Forests. We've saved them; now what are we going to do with them? What would you think of a man who cleared a 'forty', and pulled all the stumps, and then quit work?"