THE TAMING OF OL’ BUCK 223 
reason or no reason, Ol’ Buck could put two 
and two together. Humans carried guns; guns 
caused wounds and terror; the guns were going 
off down below; they weren’t going off up here; 
why not stay up here? Q.E.D. Naturally, 
this isn’t reasoning, because only a deer does it, 
not a noble, two-legged animal called Man, who 
shoots deer. But it has served many a deer in 
protecting his life and the life of his fawns, 
so it does well enough. And it explains, 
perhaps, why this story can keep on, instead 
of ending right here with the slaughter of the » 
hero. 
His experience that week in protecting his 
herd, with a wounded doe limping in his com- 
pany, intensified Ol Buck’s instinctive dread of 
man. Though the guns presently ceased, and 
the winter snows came, and nobody molested 
them up there on the wild, wind-swept ledges, 
and they grew bold again and foraged down to 
the plain for frozen apples in the orchards, OY 
Buck was more alert than ever to scent danger on 
the wind, and to spring away from it into the 
protection of the wildest forest. When spring 
