259 



Itfiffioufa Gun 



stamp his little fore foot prettily to make the 

 silent child move or speak, and perhaps also 

 to show her in deer fashion that, though 

 friendly, he was not at all afraid. 



There was one buck in the group, a three- 

 year-old with promising antlers. At first he 

 was the only deer that showed any fear of 

 the little visitor ; and his fear seemed to me 

 to be largely a matter of suspicion, or of irri- 

 tation that anything should take away the 

 herd's attention from himself. The fall wild- 

 ness was coming upon him, and he showed 

 it by restless fidgeting, by frequent proddings ( _ 

 of the does with his antlers, and by driving ^^ & 

 them about roughly and unreasonably. Now r~T / 

 he approached the child with a shake of his \f^ 

 antlers, not to threaten her, it seemed to me, 

 but rather to show the other deer that he was * 

 still master, the Great Mogul who 

 must be consulted upon all occa- ri% 



sions. For the first 

 time the little girl 

 started nervously at the 

 threatening motion. I 

 called softly to her to 



