lying in the closest
thicket he could find. It was even clutching at the hearts of
Granny and Reddy Fox and of great, big Buster Bear. It seemed to
Peter that no one was so big or so small that this terrible
Spirit of Fear had not searched him out.

Far in the distance sounded a sudden bang. Peter jumped and
shivered. He knew that every one else who had heard that bang
had jumped and shivered just as he had. It was the season of
hunters with terrible guns. It was man who had sent this
terrible Spirit of Fear to chill the hearts of the little meadow
and forest people at this very time when Old Mother Nature had
made all things so beautiful and had intended that they should
be happiest and most free from care and worry. It was man who
had made the autumn a sad time instead of a glad time, the very
saddest time of all the year, when Old Mother Nature had done
her best to make it the most beautiful.

"I don't understand these men creatures," said Peter to little
Mrs. Peter, as they stared fearfully out from the dear Old
Briar-patch. "They seem to find pleasure, actually find pleasure,
in trying to kill us. I don't understand them at all. They
haven't any hearts. That must be the reason; they haven't any
hearts."

CHAPTER V: Sammy Jay Brings Lightfoot Word

Sammy Jay is one of those who believe in the wisdom of the old
saying, "Early to bed and early to rise." Sammy needs no alarm
clock to get up early in the morning. He is awake as soon as it
is light enough to see and wastes no time wishing he could sleep
a little longer. His stomach wouldn't let him if he wanted
to. Sammy always wakes up hungry. In this he is no different
from all his feathered neighbors.

So the minute Sammy gets his eyes open he makes his toilet, for
Sammy is very neat, and starts out to hunt for his breakfast.
Long ago Sammy discovered that there is no safer time of day to
visit the dooryards of those two-legged creatures called men than
very early in the morning. On this particular morning he had
planned to fly over to Farmer Brown's dooryard, but at the last
minute he changed his mind. Instead, he flew over to the
dooryard of another farm. It was so very early in the morning
that Sammy didn't expect to find anybody stirring, so you can
guess how surprised he was when, just as he came in sight of that
dooryard, he saw the door of the house open and a man step out.

Sammy stopped on the top of the nearest tree. "N