the shock of falling in his high-jumping 

 run among the rocks and over the endless 

 windfalls of the wilderness. 



In the midst of the play, and after I had 

 watched it for a full half-hour, there was a 

 swift rustle in the woods on my right, and I 

 caught my breath sharply at sight of a mag- 

 nificent buck standing half hid in the under- 

 brush. There were two or three big bucks 

 with splendid antlers that lived lazily on the 

 slopes above this part of the lake, and that I 

 had been watching and following for several 

 weeks. Unlike the does and fawns and young 

 bucks, they were wild as hawks and selfish 

 as cats. They rarely showed themselves in 

 the open, and if surprised there with other 

 deer they bounded away at the first sight or 

 sniff of danger. Does and little fawns, when 

 they saw you, would instantly stamp and 

 whistle to warn the other deer before they 

 had taken the first step to save themselves 

 or investigate the danger ; but the big bucks 

 would bound or glide away, according to 

 the method of your approach, and in saving 

 their own skins, as they thought, would have 



