The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-19
A WALK IN EARLY SUMMER.
 Part II

4hEE HI
 For a few minutes after starting on the trail of the white-tailed deer, was able to go in straight line, for it was
 some hundreds of yards away that her white flag had disappeared. But from
 this point must follow her trail, for
 there was no sign of her in any direc-
 ton, and even the sound of cracklig twigs had died away. At first the work was easy enough Apparently she was the only deer which had been that way for some time, and at every jump she had disturbed the dry car pet of the forest enough to enable one to follow her freely. But presently the trail had led me into hardwood forest, where the ground was soft and damp, and by the disposition of her foot prints, 1t was easy to see that the doe had stopped, no doubt to look around back and see if she, were being followed. Perceiving, no doubt, that was on her trail, she had dashed away again, evil dently at great speed, as indicated by the length of her jumps and the deep marks of the dew claws in the earth. Then she had dropped into walk, and 1 shortly afterwards had left the wood- | land entirely. passing out on an open grassy hillside. Here, the following of the trail was much more difficult matter, especially as many deer had passed over this open ground, often in different directions. However, I assumed that the deer I had just seen was the last to pass that way and that consequently, the freshest trail was hers. Nor was it always easy to tell just which one was the freshest except in one way. When a deer treads upon grass, it's hoof presses the blades with such force that they are apt to remain depressed for a time, springing back gradually, or with little jerks, to it's original upright position. By watching carefully could see grass blades rising thus from certain footprints, and I knew that these were the ones I wished to follow. And I followed them, but very slowly, on my hands and knees, and often looking ahead and round about to see if the doe had stopped to browse. The trail led me straight to a cIump of spruces which were growing in the open, and at the foot of this clump I found depression in the grass. evidently made by some animal which had been lying down. Here also. the grass blades rising slowly, and when l put out my hand the spot was warm. It was too small to have been made by full grown deer; it was about the right size and shape for a fawn, and a fawn had probably made it, as I dis covered moment later.
 Peering cautiously about, saw, be- tween the lower branches of a spruce, big doe, grazing in the open. Doubt less it was the deer I had been follow ing. The wind was in my favor, and had come so slowly and quietly over the latter part of my journey, that she was quite unaware of my presence. But as I watched her, I noticed a curious movement of her ilindquarters, and suddenly her hind feet were for a moment, lifted clean off the ground. An instant later she turned half round, and I saw the cause of these curious movements; it was a. fawn taking his milk, and every now and then putting her so vigorously as to almost carry her off her feet. He was beautiful little fellow, reddish brown, spotted with white and he shook his white bordered tail vigorously as though he was enjoying himself. Every now and then his mother would turn her head as though to see that he was all right, and then fall to grazing again But in few minutes he had8had all the milk he wanted for that time, and as his mother walked along, he stopped to try little grazing for himself. For moment my eyes followed the doe as she walked slowly along, nibbling a weed here and a tuft of grass there, occasionally stopping to scratch her nose or her ear with her hind foot. Then I looked back to see what the fawn was doing, but he had disap- peared. l. could hardly believe that he would deliberately run off and leave his mother, so looked again and very care- fully, but not a glimpse of him could I get. Then l noticed something small | and white move very rapidly from above the tops of the grass, and on looking hard in that direction I made 1 out the form of the fawn, whose tail | was switching rapidly from side to side. | It happened he was standing where he was surrounded on all sides with OK l eve daisies, pearly. everlasting | and other and smaller white flowers. | and that his own white spots caused | him to look simply like part of the l 
 Then, as it was time for me to re- | turn, arose to my feet. The doe start i ed in alarm, and the fawn ran bIeating | to join her. Then she snorted like a l small explosion, and sprang away | toward the woodland, followed by her i spotted baby, their white tails waving their adieus.
 ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES.