On Keeping Still 



little buck, nudging his mother by swinging his 

 head against her side. That was the first and only 

 time, in that quick swing, when he took his eyes 

 from what attracted them. The doe looked a 

 second time, saw nothing uncommon, and had 

 turned to feed along the edge of the opening when 

 the little buck recalled her in some way. "Can't 

 you see it, that white thing like a face under the 

 moss ?" he was saying. "There ! it moved again !" 



The mother, whose back was turned to me, 

 twisted her head around as if to humor him, and 

 to interest her I swayed the moss bonnet to and 

 fro like a pendulum. At that she whirled, surprise 

 written large on her, and I dropped my head, 

 leaving her staring. When I looked again both 

 deer were coming nearer, the mother ahead, the 

 fawn holding back as if to say, "Careful now! 

 It's big, and it's hiding just behind that log." 

 So they drew on warily, stopping to stamp a fore 

 foot, and every time they challenged I gave the 

 bonnet an answering wag. When they were so 

 near that I knew they must soon distinguish my 

 eyes from the moss, I sank out of sight. I was 

 listening for their alarm-call or for the thud of 

 their flying feet when a gray muzzle slid over the 

 log, and I laid my hand fair on the mother's cheek 

 before she bounded away. 



Now there was nothing strange or new in all 

 [209] 



