Evening star., 1916-10-24

trust to his ears to catch every little
sound. the swapping Of = twig or the
rustic Of leaf, made by . hunter try
ing to creep up to shoot him. He must
trust to his eyes to see every moving
thing near him. He must trust to his
nose to catch the dreaded man smell.
He must trust to his legs to get him
away from danger Of which he already
knew. But he must trust very much to
dangers while trying to escape from
one of which he already knew.
When Sammy Jay had warned him OF
the approach Of a hunter that morning
Lightfoot had first made sure that It
was himself the hunter was really
after. Then he had swiftly bounded
away to q place where the ground was
hard and his sharp hoofs would make
no tracks, for he knew that 1t was by
his tracks that the hunter was trying
to follow him.
Then he lay down in some thick
brush at the top of a little hill. where
he could look back. By and by he saw
the hunter stealing along like the
shadow Of death, putting each foot
down with the greatest care, SO as not
to mako sound, and all the time
watching the ground for Lightfoots
tracks. He watched him reach the place
there were no tracks, and there walk
about in circles, trying to find out in
which direction Lightfoot had gone.
1t was very exciting Lshtfo9ts ,,s
excitement and fear. Would the hunter
guess rightly? Would he find some lit
tie sign which would tell him what he
wanted to know? He was very patient,
that hunter.
HE must want dreadfully to kill
me-" thought Lightfoot as he watched.
Il wonder why. I've never hurt him.
I've never even seen him before"
Just then Sammy Jay, who had been
silently following the hunter, began to
scream as only Sammy can. The hunt
er looked up and scowled Then. with
a sfrug of his shoulders. he turned and
he had come. He had given up trying
to follow Lightfoot that day. With
Sammy Jay making such racket and
warning every one within hearing 1t
| was of no use, and he knew it. Light
| foot gave a little sigh of relief. Now
he could rest in peace. He settled him
self in comfort. That is, he made his
body comfortable. But there was nc
| comfort in his mind. There wouldn't
be and couldn't be so long as there
were hunters with terrible guns in the
| Green Forest.
The hunter who had tried so hard tc
| follow Ltghtfoot's tracks had not beer
long gone when a Merry Little Breeze
stole into the brush where Lightfoo,
was lying and tickled his nose. In ar
| instant Lightfoot was all ears, eyes ano
| nose. That Merry Little Breeze hac
brought to him the dreaded smell Of
man. 1t wasn't the hunter he had beer
watching, for the Merry Little Breeze
had come from another direction alto
gether. Probably it was another hunt
err What should he do? Should he
jump and run. trusting to his legs te
take him to safety, Should he stay
right where he was until he knew ex.
actly where the hunter was? If he
| jumped and ran he might run righ,
| into danger. If he remained the hunter
might see him and shoot before there
was chance to escape. Then. again
| the hunter might not see him at all
| might not know that he was anywhere
about Lightfoot decided to stay.
Stronger and stronger grew the man
smell. Presently Lightfoot's keen ears
heard the swapping of a twfg. With
heart beating with fear and excitement
SO that 1t hurt Lightfoot watched. Nov
| ing among the trees he saw hunter
| and, like the first one, he carried a ter
rible gun. But this one was not fol-
| lowing tracks. 1t was plain to see that