88 BRUNO 



I had shut all the doors and built up the fire, 

 I heard a clatter of small hoofs on the porch- 

 floor, and there stood Juanita, looking wist- 

 fully in through the window. Bruno and I 

 looked at each other, thoroughly perplexed. 

 We were not prepared for such a hint. I 

 thought afterwards it must have been taken as 

 a baby-deer, and raised indoors " by hand. ' 



We went out and prepared a warm bed for it 

 in the wood-shed back of the house. It seemed 

 quite satisfied with this arrangement, and set- 

 tled down cosily as we left it and returned to 

 our fireside. We spent this evening and night 

 as we had the previous one, and were aroused 

 very early in the morning by the sound of 

 Juanita's impatient little hoofs on the porch 

 floor. I had just finished feeding her and 

 Bruno, when I heard the gate-latch click. I 

 looked out. A colored girl was coming up the 

 walk. 



"Mawnin', Lady," she said; "ole Miss hyud 

 our deer was hyuh. Dah you is, you good-f- 

 nuffin' ole runaway! Thanky, Lady. Come 

 on, Billy ! ' And hitting him a resounding slap 

 on the back, she went off, accompanied by our 

 romantic Juanita, transformed into meek and 

 prosy Billy. 



