Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-08-01
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?
By Frank Stock ton =.

foot; then he drew it back and
stamped; then, encouraged by his
mother who might have been supposed
to be speaking gently to him all the
time, he put in both forefeet and stood
still for minute.
i But he drew back, and after stamp
ing as II he hated vecy much to have
wet feet he bounded away. Then he
turned to look at his mother, hoping,
probably, that she would think he had
done enough. and that she would come
out and cease her efforts to make him
do very unpleasant thing. The doe
probably knew what was in the mind
of her son, but instead of paying some
attention to his evident appeals she
moved farther from tile shore until
the water was so deep that she was
obliged to swim.
Hal thought that the little fawn now
became possessed with the fear that
he was going to lose his mother; that
she intended to cross the water and
leave him where he was. Made brave
by this anxiety he forget everything in
the frantic desire to be with her, wher-
ever she might be going or whatever
she might be doing, and he plunged
into the cold water. He splashed and
kicked and tried to jump, but in a min
ute he was out of his depth, padding
as fast as he could toward the doe,
who was waiting for him.
Hal watched these proceedings with
the most lively interest. 1t was plain
| enough that the little creature, like
nearly all animals except man, was
able 10 support himself in the water,
and to swim without being taught to
do so. but it also seemed plain to Hal
that the fawn did not like cold water,
and would need n good deal of educa-
ton by example before he would have
proper confidence in himself and run to
water if pursued.
On he went, with not much more
than his head out of the water. and
| working his little legs with an excited
energy that soon took him to his moth
er. Then she swan gently round him,
| putting her head close to his, and ap-
| parently endeavoring to encourage him.
But the fawn did not want encour,
| agement He wanted his mother to go
back to the shore, and to take him with
her, and as soon as he got n chance he
made as If he would climb on her back
This pulled her down in the water, and
so, without any regard for the feelings
of her son, she shook him off and swan
to little distance, moving toward the
shore.
The fawn followed, trying his best
to reach his mother and compel her to
carry him, but without Leaving him far
though she always kept her eyes on
him, and seemed to be urging him to
swim ashore without her help.
In short time the doe was standing
on dry land, and when the fawn could
touch bottom he gave a great bound
up the shelving beach, and began rae
ing backward and forward as if to get
warm by exercise. Meanwhile his
mother stood looking at him with evil
dent pride. Although his temper may
have been ruffied by the way his moth
er had treated him, he was now as
happy as any little fawn could be. He
had already forgotten he had ever
| been afraid of the water.
The doe, having performed her moth
er duty, lay down in sunny spot to
| dry herself, and the fawn, ever willing
to emulate her in this respect stretched
| himself on the ground beside her, net
in the graceful attitude she had as
sumed. but with his slender legs reach
ing out in four directions, his head
resting upon the ground.
In all the time he had been watching
the performances of the doe and the
fawn Hal had not even thought of his
rife. To shoot at any time, or under
any circumstances, n little fawn and
its afcctionate mother would have
been not only unsportsmanlike and il
legal but shamefully cruel. And now
after the boy had. in manner, made
the acquaintance of the pair. and had
taken so much interest in the swim
ming lesson he would have felt almost
inclined to shoot any one who should
dare 10 shoot that doe and fawn.
While he had been watching the
swimming scene he had forgotten the
camera, but now he remembered it,
and was just about to take picture of
the fawn and its mother, resting after
their bath when the pretty creatures
made sudden movement. The fawn
raised its head, and the doe, without
rising, turned her eyes in the direction
of the woods.
Instantly Hal put down his camera
and laid his hand upon his rifle. His
heart beat fast, his whole body trem-
bled. Something was coming; some
thing which deer were not afraid of.
for the fawn and its mother We're not
in the least frightened. Could it be
what he had been expecting?
Something did come, and it was ex-
actly what Hal had been expecting.
waiting for, longing for. Without the
slightest hesitation fine buck walked
out into the open. He did not look to
the right, he did not look to the left