The Adventures of Lightfoot the Deer Page 2

  But Peter had no thought for the beauty of it all, for the Spirit ofFear had visited even the dear Old Briar-patch, and Peter was afraid. Itwasn't fear of Reddy Fox, or Redtail the Hawk, or Hooty the Owl, or OldMan Coyote. They were forever trying to catch him, but they did notstrike terror to his heart because he felt quite smart enough to keepout of their clutches. To be sure, they gave him sudden frightssometimes, when they happened to surprise him, but these frights lastedonly until he reached the nearest bramble-tangle or hollow log wherethey could not get at him. But the fear that chilled his heart now neverleft him even for a moment.

  And Peter knew that this same fear was clutching at the hearts of BobWhite, hiding in the brown stubble; of Mrs. Grouse, squatting in thethickest bramble-tangle in the Green Forest; of Uncle Billy Possum andBobby Coon in their hollow trees; of Jerry Muskrat in the Smiling Pool;of Happy Jack Squirrel, hiding in the tree tops; of Lightfoot the Deer,lying in the closest thicket he could find. It was even clutching at thehearts of Granny and Reddy Fox and of great, big Buster Bear. It seemedto Peter that no one was so big or so small that this terrible Spirit ofFear had not searched him out.

  Far in the distance sounded a sudden bang. Peter jumped and shivered. Heknew that every one else who had heard that bang had jumped and shiveredjust as he had. It was the season of hunters with terrible guns. It wasman who had sent this terrible Spirit of Fear to chill the hearts of thelittle meadow and forest people at this very time when Old Mother Naturehad made all things so beautiful and had intended that they should behappiest and most free from care and worry. It was man who had made theautumn a sad time instead of a glad time, the very saddest time of allthe year, when Old Mother Nature had done her best to make it the mostbeautiful.

  "I don't understand these men creatures," said Peter to little Mrs.Peter, as they stared fearfully out from the dear Old Briar-patch. "Theyseem to find pleasure, actually find pleasure, in trying to kill us. Idon't understand them at all. They haven't any hearts. That must be thereason; they haven't any hearts."

  "I don't understand these men creatures," said Peter to little Mrs. Peter.]

  CHAPTER V

  SAMMY JAY BRINGS LIGHTFOOT WORD

  Sammy Jay is one of those who believe in the wisdom of the old saying,"Early to bed and early to rise." Sammy needs no alarm clock to get upearly in the morning. He is awake as soon as it is light enough to seeand wastes no time wishing he could sleep a little longer. His stomachwouldn't let him if he wanted to. Sammy always wakes up hungry. In thishe is no different from all his feathered neighbors.

  So the minute Sammy gets his eyes open he makes his toilet, for Sammyis very neat, and starts out to hunt for his breakfast. Long ago Sammydiscovered that there is no safer time of day to visit the dooryards ofthose two-legged creatures called men than very early in the morning. Onthis particular morning he had planned to fly over to Farmer Brown'sdooryard, but at the last minute he changed his mind. Instead, he flewover to the dooryard of another farm. It was so very early in themorning that Sammy didn't expect to find anybody stirring, so you canguess how surprised he was when, just as he came in sight of thatdooryard, he saw the door of the house open and a man step out.

  Sammy stopped on the top of the nearest tree. "Now what is that mandoing up as early as this?" muttered Sammy. Then he caught sight ofsomething under the man's arm. He didn't have to look twice to know whatit was. It was a gun! Yes, sir, it was a gun, a terrible gun.

  "Ha!" exclaimed Sammy, and quite forgot that his stomach was empty. "Nowwho can that fellow be after so early in the morning? I wonder if he isgoing to the dear Old Briar-patch to look for Peter Rabbit, or if he isgoing to the Old Pasture in search of Reddy Fox, or if it is Mr. andMrs. Grouse he hopes to kill. I think I'll sit right here and watch."

  So Sammy sat in the top of the tree and watched the hunter with theterrible gun. He saw him head straight for the Green Forest. "It's Mr.and Mrs. Grouse after all, I guess," thought Sammy. "If I knew justwhere they were I'd go over and warn them." But Sammy didn't know justwhere they were and he knew that it might take him a long time to findthem, so he once more began to think of breakfast and then, right then,another thought popped into his head. He thought of Lightfoot the Deer.

  Sammy watched the hunter enter the Green Forest, then he silentlyfollowed him. From the way the hunter moved, Sammy decided that hewasn't thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Grouse. "It's Lightfoot the Deer, sureas I live," muttered Sammy. "He ought to be warned. He certainly oughtto be warned. I know right where he is. I believe I'll warn him myself."

  Sammy found Lightfoot right where he had expected to. "He's coming!"cried Sammy. "A hunter with a terrible gun is coming!"

  CHAPTER VI

  A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK

  There was a game of hide and seek that Danny Meadow Mouse once playedwith Buster Bear. It was a very dreadful game for Danny. But hard as itwas for Danny, it didn't begin to be as hard as the game Lightfoot theDeer was playing with the hunter in the Green Forest.

  In the case of Buster Bear and Danny, the latter had simply to keep outof reach of Buster. As long as Buster didn't get his great paws onDanny, the latter was safe. Then, too, Danny is a very small person. Heis so small that he can hide under two or three leaves. Wherever he is,he is pretty sure to find a hiding-place of some sort. His small sizegives him advantages in a game of hide and seek. It certainly does. ButLightfoot the Deer is big. He is one of the largest of the people wholive in the Green Forest. Being so big, it is not easy to hide.

  Moreover, a hunter with a terrible gun does not have to get close inorder to kill. Lightfoot knew all this as he waited for the coming ofthe hunter of whom Sammy Jay had warned him. He had learned many lessonsin the hunting season of the year before and he remembered every one ofthem. He knew that to forget even one of them might cost him his life.So, standing motionless behind a tangle of fallen trees, Lightfootlistened and watched.

  Presently over in the distance he heard Sammy Jay screaming, "Thief,thief, thief!" A little sigh of relief escaped Lightfoot. He knew thatthat screaming of Sammy Jay's was a warning to tell him where the hunterwas. Knowing just where the hunter was made it easier for Lightfoot toknow what to do.

  A Merry Little Breeze came stealing through the Green Forest. It camefrom behind Lightfoot and danced on towards the hunter with the terriblegun. Instantly Lightfoot began to steal softly away through the GreenForest. He took the greatest care to make no sound. He went in ahalf-circle, stopping every few steps to listen and test the air withhis wonderful nose. Can you guess what Lightfoot was trying to do? Hewas trying to get behind the hunter so that the Merry Little Breezeswould bring to him the dreaded man-scent. So long as Lightfoot could getthat scent, he would know where the hunter was, though he could neithersee nor hear him. If he had remained where Sammy Jay had found him, thehunter might have come within shooting distance before Lightfoot couldhave located him.

  So the hunter with the terrible gun walked noiselessly through the GreenForest, stepping with the greatest care to avoid snapping a stickunderfoot, searching with keen eye every thicket and likely hiding-placefor a glimpse of Lightfoot, and studying the ground for traces to showthat Lightfoot had been there.

  CHAPTER VII

  THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HELP LIGHTFOOT

  Could you have seen the hunter with the terrible gun and Lightfoot theDeer that morning on which the hunting season opened you might havethought that Lightfoot was hunting the hunter instead of the hunterhunting Lightfoot. You see, Lightfoot was behind the hunter instead ofin front of him. He was following the hunter, so as to keep track ofhim. As long as he knew just where the hunter was, he felt reasonablysafe.

  The Merry Little Breezes are Lightfoot's best friends. They alwaysbring to him all the different scents they find as they wander throughthe Green Forest. And Lightfoot's delicate nose is so wonderful that hecan take these scents, even though they be very faint, and tell just whoor what has made them. So, though he makes the best possible use of hisbig ea
rs and his beautiful eyes, he trusts more to his nose to warn himof danger. For this reason, during the hunting season when he movesabout, he moves in the direction from which the Merry Little Breezes maybe blowing. He knows that they will bring to him warning of any dangerwhich may lie in that direction.

  Now the hunter with the terrible gun who was looking for Lightfoot knewall this, for he was wise in the ways of Lightfoot and of the otherlittle people of the Green Forest. When he had entered the Green Forestthat morning he had first of all made sure of the direction from whichthe Merry Little Breezes were coming. Then he had begun to hunt in thatdirection, knowing that thus his scent would be carried behind him. Itis more than likely that he would have reached the hiding-place ofLightfoot the Deer before the latter would have known that he was in theGreen Forest, had it not been for Sammy Jay's warning.

  When he reached the tangle of fallen trees behind which Lightfoot hadbeen hiding, he worked around it slowly and with the greatest care,holding his terrible gun ready to use instantly should Lightfoot leapout. Presently he found Lightfoot's footprints in the soft ground andstudying them he knew that Lightfoot had known of his coming.

  "It was that confounded Jay," muttered the hunter. "Lightfoot heard himand knew what it meant. I know what he has done; he has circled round soas to get behind me and get my scent. It is a clever trick, a veryclever trick, but two can play at that game. I'll just try that littletrick myself."

  So the hunter in his turn made a wide circle back, and presently therewas none of the dreaded man-smell among the scents which the MerryLittle Breezes brought to Lightfoot. Lightfoot had lost track of thehunter.

  CHAPTER VIII

  WIT AGAINST WIT

  It was a dreadful game the hunter with the terrible gun and Lightfootthe Deer were playing in the Green Forest. It was a matching of witagainst wit, the hunter seeking to take Lightfoot's life, and Lightfootseeking to save it. The experience of other years had taught Lightfootmuch of the ways of hunters and not one of the things he had learnedabout them was forgotten. But the hunter in his turn knew much of theways of Deer. So it was that each was trying his best to outguess theother.

  When the hunter found the hiding-place Lightfoot had left at the warningof Sammy Jay he followed Lightfoot's tracks for a short distance. It wasslow work, and only one whose eyes had been trained to notice littlethings could have done it. You see, there was no snow, and only now andthen, when he had stepped on a bit of soft ground, had Lightfoot left afootprint. But there were other signs which the hunter knew how toread,--a freshly upturned leaf here, and here, a bit of moss lightlycrushed. These things told the hunter which way Lightfoot had gone.

  Slowly, patiently, watchfully, the hunter followed. After a while hestopped with a satisfied grin. "I thought as much," he muttered. "Heheard that pesky Jay and circled around so as to get my scent. I'll justcut across to my old trail and unless I am greatly mistaken, I'll findhis tracks there."

  So, swiftly but silently, the hunter cut across to his old trail, and ina few moments he found just what he expected,--one of Lightfoot'sfootprints. Once more he grinned.

  "Well, old fellow, I've out-guessed you this time," said he to himself."I am behind you and the wind is from you to me, so that you cannot getmy scent. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you're back right where youstarted from, behind that old windfall." He at once began to moveforward silently and cautiously, with eyes and ears alert and histerrible gun ready for instant use.

  Now when Lightfoot, following behind the hunter, had lost the scent ofthe latter, he guessed right away that the latter had found his tracksand had started to follow them. Lightfoot stood still and listened withall his might for some little sound to tell him where the hunter was.But there was no sound and after a little Lightfoot began to move on. Hedidn't dare remain still, lest the hunter should creep up withinshooting distance. There was only one direction in which it was safe forLightfoot to move, and that was the direction from which the MerryLittle Breezes were blowing. So long as they brought him none of thedreaded man-smell, he knew that he was safe. The hunter might be behindhim--probably he was--but ahead of him, so long as the Merry LittleBreezes were blowing in his face and brought no man-smell, was safety.

  CHAPTER IX

  LIGHTFOOT BECOMES UNCERTAIN

  Lightfoot the Deer traveled on through the Green Forest, straight aheadin the direction from which the Merry Little Breezes were blowing. Everyfew steps he would raise his delicate nose and test all the scents thatthe Merry Little Breezes were bringing. So long as he kept the MerryLittle Breezes blowing in his face, he could be sure whether or notthere was danger ahead of him.

  Lightfoot uses his nose very much as you and I use our eyes. It tellshim the things he wants to know. He knew that Reddy Fox had been alongahead of him, although he didn't get so much as a glimpse of Reddy's redcoat. Once he caught just the faintest of scents which caused him tostop abruptly and test the air more carefully than ever. It was thescent of Buster Bear. But it was so very faint that Lightfoot knewBuster was not near, so he went ahead again, but even more carefullythan before. After a little he couldn't smell Buster at all, so he knewthen that Buster had merely passed that way when he was going to someother part of the Green Forest.

  Lightfoot knew that he had nothing to fear in that direction so long asthe Merry Little Breezes brought him none of the dreaded man-scent, andhe knew that he could trust the Merry Little Breezes to bring him thatscent if there should be a man anywhere in front of him. You know theMerry Little Breezes are Lightfoot's best friends. But Lightfoot didn'twant to keep going in that direction all day.

  It would take him far away from that part of the Green Forest with whichhe was familiar and which he called home. It might in time take him outof the Green Forest and that wouldn't do at all. So after a whileLightfoot became uncertain. He didn't know just what to do. You see, hecouldn't tell whether or not that hunter with the terrible gun wasstill following him.

  Every once in a while he would stop in a thicket of young trees orbehind a tangle of fallen trees uprooted by the wind. There he wouldstand, facing the direction from which he had come, and watch and listenfor some sign that the hunter was still following. But after a fewminutes of this he would grow uneasy and then bound away in thedirection from which the Merry Little Breezes were blowing, so as to besure of not running into danger.

  "If only I could know if that hunter is still following, I would knowbetter what to do," thought Lightfoot. "I've got to find out."

  CHAPTER X

  LIGHTFOOT'S CLEVER TRICK

  Lightfoot the Deer is smart. Yes, Sir, Lightfoot the Deer is smart. Hehas to be, especially in the hunting season, to save his life. If hewere not smart he would have been killed long ago. He never makes thefoolish mistake of thinking that other people are not smart. He knewthat the hunter who had started out to follow him early that morning wasnot one to be easily discouraged or to be fooled by simple tricks. Hehad a very great respect for the smartness of that hunter. He knew thathe couldn't afford to be careless for one little minute.

  The certainty of danger is sometimes easier to bear than the uncertaintyof not knowing whether or not there really is any danger. Lightfoot feltthat if he could know just where the hunter was, he himself would knowbetter what to do. The hunter might have become discouraged and given upfollowing him. In that case he could rest and stop worrying. It would bebetter to know that he was being followed than not to know. But how washe to find out? Lightfoot kept turning this over and over in his mind ashe traveled through the Green Forest. Then an idea came to him.

  "I know what I'll do. I know just what I'll do," said Lightfoot tohimself. "I'll find out whether or not that hunter is still following meand I'll get a little rest. Goodness knows, I need a rest."

  Lightfoot bounded away swiftly and ran for some distance, then he turnedand quickly, but very, very quietly, returned in the direction fromwhich he had just come but a little to one side of his old trail. Aftera while he saw what he was looking
for, a pile of branches whichwoodchoppers had left when they had trimmed the trees they had cut down.This was near the top of a little hill. Lightfoot went up the hill andstopped behind the pile of brush. For a few moments he stood thereperfectly still, looking and listening. Then, with a little sigh ofrelief, he lay down, where, without being in any danger of being seenhimself, he could watch his old trail through the hollow at the bottomof the hill. If the hunter were still following him, he would passthrough that hollow in plain sight.

  For a long time Lightfoot rested comfortably behind the pile of brush.There was not a suspicious movement or a suspicious sound to show thatdanger was abroad in the Green Forest. He saw Mr. and Mrs. Grouse flydown across the hollow and disappear among the trees on the other side.He saw Unc' Billy Possum looking over a hollow tree and guessed thatUnc' Billy was getting ready to go into winter quarters. He saw Jumperthe Hare squat down under a low-hanging branch of a hemlock-tree andprepare to take a nap. He heard Drummer the Woodpecker at work drillingafter worms in a tree not far away. Little by little Lightfoot grew easyin his mind. It must be that that hunter had become discouraged and wasno longer following him.

  CHAPTER XI

  THE HUNTED WATCHES THE HUNTER

  It was so quiet and peaceful and altogether lovely there in the GreenForest, where Lightfoot the Deer lay resting behind a pile of brush nearthe top of a little hill, that it didn't seem possible such a thing assudden death could be anywhere near. It didn't seem possible that therecould be any need for watchfulness. But Lightfoot long ago had learnedthat often danger is nearest when it seems least to be expected. So,though he would have liked very much to have taken a nap, Lightfoot wastoo wise to do anything so foolish. He kept his beautiful, great, softeyes fixed in the direction from which the hunter with the terrible gunwould come if he were still following that trail. He kept his great earsgently moving to catch every little sound.