hurried to the Green Forest, for they couldn't think of missing
anything so exciting as would be the meeting between Lightfoot
and the big stranger from the Great Mountain.

Sammy didn't forget to tell Paddy the Beaver, but it was no news
to Paddy. Paddy had seen the big stranger on the edge of his pond
early the night before.

Of course, Lightfoot knew nothing about all this. His one thought
was to find that big stranger and drive him from the Green Forest,
and so he continued his search tirelessly.

CHAPTER XXXVI: Sammy Jay Takes A Hand

Sammy Jay was bubbling over with excitement as he flew about through
the Green Forest, following Lightfoot the Deer. He was so excited
he wanted to scream. But he didn't. He kept his tongue still.
You see, he didn't want Lightfoot to know that he was being followed.
Under that pointed cap of Sammy Jay's are quick wits. It didn't
take him long to discover that the big stranger whom Lightfoot
was seeking was doing his best to keep out of Lightfoot's way and
that he was having no difficulty in doing so because of the reckless
way in which Lightfoot was searching for him. Lightfoot made so
much noise that it was quite easy to know just where he was and
so keep out of his sight.

"That stranger is nearly as big as Lightfoot, but it is very
plain that he doesn't want to fight," thought Sammy. "He must be
a coward."

Now the truth is, the stranger was not a coward. He was ready and
willing to fight if he had to, but if he could avoid fighting he
meant to. You see, big as he was, he wasn't quite so big as
Lightfoot, and he knew it. He had seen Lightfoot's big
footprints, and from their size he knew that Lightfoot must be
bigger and heavier than he. Then, too, he knew that he really
had no right to be there in the Green Forest. That was
Lightfoot's home and so he was an intruder. He knew that
Lightfoot would feel this way about it and that this would make
him fight all the harder. So the big stranger wanted to avoid a
fight if possible. But he wanted still more to find that
beautiful young visitor with the dainty feet for whom Lightfoot
had been looking. He wanted to find her just as Lightfoot wanted
to find her, and he hoped that if he did find her, he could take
her away with him back to the Great Mountain. If he had to, he
would fight for her, but until he had to he would keep out of the
fight. So he dodged Lightfoot and at the same time looked for the
be