78 Trails to Woods and Waters 



of the sun peeped through the gossamer veil 

 and all the birds in the treetops set up a great 

 chirping and twittering; the squirrels chat- 

 tered, and all the four-footed creatures be- 

 came vocal, each after its kind. 



This was the morning greeting of the 

 furred and feathered folks to the warm sun 

 whose coming cheered and gladdened them. 



An hour before a dainty doe had gone 

 down into the valley, stepping lightly and 

 daintily, as does her kind, in search of her 

 breakfast. 



Her little dappled fawn, whom she had 

 left hidden in the top of a fallen tree, was a 

 great strain upon her and the mother was as 

 ravenous as a wolf. 



But there was plenty of good feed in the 

 valley and as the deer were protected by law, 

 there was little danger in her going. So fear- 

 less had the deer become that her mate, the 

 proud, heavy antlered buck, who had lived in 

 and about the mountain for several years, fre- 

 quently grazed in the neighboring pastures 

 with the cattle. 



