CHAPTER XIII: Lightfoot And Paddy Become Partners
The instant Lightfoot saw Paddy the Beaver he knew that for the time being, at least, there was no danger. He knew that Paddy is one of the shyest of all the little people of the Green Forest and that when he is found working in the daytime it means that he has been undisturbed for a long time; otherwise he would work only at night.
Paddy saw Lightfoot almost as soon as he stepped out on the bank. He kept right on swimming with the branch of a poplar-tree until he reached his food pile, which, you know, is in the water. There he forced the branch down until it was held by other branches already sunken in the pond. This done, he swam over to where Lightfoot was watching. "h.e.l.lo, Lightfoot!" he exclaimed.
"You are looking handsomer than ever. How are you feeling these fine autumn days?"
"Anxious," replied Lightfoot. "I am feeling terribly anxious.
Do you know what day this is?"
"No," replied Paddy, "I don"t know what day it is, and I don"t particularly care. It is enough for me that it is one of the finest days we"ve had for a long time."
"I wish I could feel that way," said Lightfoot wistfully. "I wish I could feel that way, Paddy, but I can"t. No, Sir, I can"t.
You see, this is the first of the most dreadful days in all the year for me. The hunters started looking for me before Mr. Sun was really out of bed. At least one hunter did, and I don"t doubt there are others. I fooled that one, but from now to the end of the hunting season there will not be a single moment of daylight when I will feel absolutely safe."
Paddy crept out on the bank and chewed a little twig of poplar thoughtfully. Paddy says he can always think better if he is chewing something. "That"s bad news, Lightfoot. I"m sorry to hear it. I certainly am sorry to hear it," said Paddy. "Why anybody wants to hunt such a handsome fellow as you are, I cannot understand. My, but that"s a beautiful set of antlers you have!"
"They are the best I"ve ever had; but do you know, Paddy, I suspect that they may be one of the reasons I am hunted so,"
replied Lightfoot a little sadly. "Good looks are not always to be desired. Have you seen any hunters around here lately?"
Paddy shook his Lead. "Not a single hunter," he replied. "I tell you what it is, Lightfoot, let"s be partners for a while.
You stay right around my pond. If I see or hear or smell anything suspicious, I"ll warn you. You do the same for me. Two sets of eyes, ears and noses are better than one. What do you say, Lightfoot?"
"I"ll do it," replied Lightfoot.
CHAPTER XIV: How Paddy Warned Lightfoot
It was a queer partnership, that partnership between Lightfoot and Paddy, but it was a good partnership. They had been the best of friends for a long time. Paddy had always been glad to have Lightfoot visit his pond. To tell the truth, he was rather fond of handsome Lightfoot. You know Paddy is himself not at all handsome. On land he is a rather clumsy-looking fellow and really homely. So he admired Lightfoot greatly. That is one reason why he proposed that they be partners.
Lightfoot himself thought the idea a splendid one. He spent that night browsing not far from Paddy"s pond. With the coming of daylight he lay down in a thicket of young hemlock-trees near the upper end of the pond. It was a quiet, peaceful day. It was so quiet and peaceful and beautiful it was hard to believe that hunters with terrible guns were searching the Green Forest for beautiful Lightfoot. But they were, and Lightfoot knew that sooner or later one of them would be sure to visit Paddy"s pond.
So, though he rested and took short naps all through that beautiful day, he was anxious. He couldn"t help but be.
The next morning found Lightfoot back in the same place. But this morning he took no naps. He rested, but all the time he was watchful and alert. A feeling of uneasiness possessed him.
He felt in his bones that danger in the shape of a hunter with a terrible gun was not far distant.
But the hours slipped away, and little by little he grew less uneasy.
He began to hope that that day would prove as peaceful as the previous day had been. Then suddenly there was a sharp report from the farther end of Paddy"s pond. It was almost like a pistol shot.
However, it wasn"t a pistol shot. It wasn"t a shot at all.
It was the slap of Paddy"s broad tail on the surface of the water.
Instantly Lightfoot was on his feet. He knew just what that meant.
He knew that Paddy had seen or heard or smelled a hunter.
It was even so. Paddy had heard a dry stick snap. It was a very tiny snap, but it was enough to warn Paddy. With only his head above water he had watched in the direction from which that sound had come. Presently, stealing quietly along towards the pond, a hunter had come in view. Instantly Paddy had brought his broad tail down on the water with all his force. He knew that Lightfoot would know that that meant danger. Then Paddy had dived, and swimming under water, had sought the safety of his house.
He had done his part, and there was nothing more he could do.
CHAPTER XV: The Three Watchers
When Paddy the Beaver slapped the water with his broad tail, making a noise like a pistol shot, Lightfoot understood that this was meant as a warning of danger. He was on his feet instantly, with eyes, ears and nose seeking the cause of Paddy"s warning.
After a moment or two he stole softly up to the top of a little ridge some distance back from Paddy"s pond, but from the top of which he could see the whole of the pond. There he hid among some close-growing young hemlock-trees. It wasn"t long before he saw a hunter with a terrible gun come down to the sh.o.r.e of the pond.
Now the hunter had heard Paddy slap the water with his broad tail. Of course. There would have been something very wrong with his ears had he failed to hear it.
"Confound that Beaver!" muttered the hunter crossly. "If there was a Deer anywhere around this pond, he probably is on his way now.
I"ll have a look around and see if there are any signs."
So the hunter went on to the edge of Paddy"s pond and then began to walk around it, studying the ground as he walked. Presently he found the footprints of Lightfoot in the mud where Lightfoot had gone down to the pond to drink.
"I thought as much," muttered the hunter. "Those tracks were made last night. That Deer probably was lying down somewhere near here, and I might have had a shot but for that pesky Beaver.
I"ll just look the land over, and then I think I"ll wait here awhile. If that Deer isn"t too badly scared, he may come back."
So the hunter went quite around the pond, looking into all likely hiding-places. He found where Lightfoot had been lying, and he knew that in all probability Lightfoot had been there when Paddy gave the danger signal.
"It"s of no use for me to try to follow him," thought the hunter. "It is too dry for me to track him. He may not be so badly scared, after all. I"ll just find a good place and wait."
So the hunter found an old log behind some small trees and there sat down. He could see all around Paddy"s pond. He sat perfectly still. He was a clever hunter and he knew that so long as he did not move he was not likely to be noticed by any sharp eyes that might come that way. What he didn"t know was that Lightfoot had been watching him all the time and was even then standing where he could see him. And another thing he didn"t know was that Paddy the Beaver had come out of his house and, swimming under water, had reached a hiding-place on the opposite sh.o.r.e from which he too had seen the hunter sit down on the log.
So the hunter watched for Lightfoot, and Lightfoot and Paddy watched the hunter.
CHAPTER XVI: Visitors To Paddy"s Pond
That hunter was a man of patience. Also he was a man who understood the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows. He knew that if he would not be seen he must not move.
So he didn"t move. He kept as motionless as if he were a part of the very log on which he was sitting.
For some time there was no sign of any living thing. Then, from over the tree tops in the direction of the Big River, came the whistle of swift wings, and Mr. and Mrs. Quack alighted with a splash in the pond. For a few moments they sat on the water, a picture of watchful suspicion. They were looking and listening to make sure that no danger was near. Satisfied at last, they began to clean their feathers. It was plain that they felt safe.
Paddy the Beaver was tempted to warn them that they were not as safe as they thought, but as long as the hunter did not move Paddy decided to wait.
Now the hunter was sorely tempted to shoot these Ducks, but he knew that if he did he would have no chance that day to get Lightfoot the Deer, and it was Lightfoot he wanted. So Mr. and Mrs. Quack swam about within easy range of that terrible gun without once suspecting that danger was anywhere near.
By and by the hunter"s keen eyes caught a movement at one end of Paddy"s dam. An instant later Bobby c.o.o.n appeared. It was clear that Bobby was quite unsuspicious. He carried something, but just what the hunter could not make out. He took it down to the edge of the water and there carefully washed it. Then he climbed up on Paddy"s dam and began to eat. You know Bobby c.o.o.n is very particular about his food. Whenever there is water near, Bobby washes his food before eating. Once more the hunter was tempted, but did not yield to the temptation, which was a very good thing for Bobby c.o.o.n.
All this Lightfoot saw as he stood among the little hemlock-trees at the top of the ridge behind the hunter. He saw and he understood. "It is because he wants to kill me that he doesn"t shoot at Mr. and Mrs. Quack or Bobby c.o.o.n," thought Lightfoot a little bitterly. "What have I ever done that he should be so anxious to kill me?"
Still the hunter sat without moving. Mr. and Mrs. Quack contentedly hunted for food in the mud at the bottom of Paddy"s pond. Bobby c.o.o.n finished his meal, crossed the dam and disappeared in the Green Forest. He had gone off to take a nap somewhere. Time slipped away. The hunter continued to watch patiently for Lightfoot, and Lightfoot and Paddy the Beaver watched the hunter. Finally, another visitor appeared at the upper end of the pond--a visitor in a wonderful coat of red.
It was Reddy Fox.