elf."

Now when you come to think of it, it would have been a far greater shame
for the hunter to have killed Mr. and Mrs. Quack than for Reddy Fox to
have done so. Reddy was hunting them because he was hungry. The hunter
would have shot them for sport. He didn't need them. He had plenty of
other food. Reddy Fox doesn't kill just for the pleasure of killing.

So the hunter continued to sit in his hiding-place with very friendly
feelings for Sammy Jay. Sammy watched Reddy Fox disappear and then flew
over to that side of the pond where the hunter was. Mr. and Mrs. Quack
called their thanks to Sammy, to which he replied, that he had done no
more for them than he would do for anybody, or than they would have done
for him.

For some time Sammy sat quietly in the top of the tree, but all the time
his sharp eyes were very busy. By and by he spied the hunter sitting on
the log. At first he couldn't make out just what it was he was looking
at. It didn't move, but nevertheless Sammy was suspicious. Presently he
flew over to a tree where he could see better. Right away he spied the
terrible gun, and he knew just what that was. Once more he began to
yell, "Thief! thief! thief!" at the top of his lungs. It was then that
the hunter lost his temper. He knew that now he had been discovered by
Sammy Jay, and it was useless to remain there longer. He was angry clear
through.

CHAPTER XIX

SAMMY JAY IS MODEST

As soon as the angry hunter with the terrible gun had disappeared among
the trees of the Green Forest, and Lightfoot was sure that he had gone
for good, Lightfoot came out from his hiding-place on top of the ridge
and walked down to the pond of Paddy the Beaver for a drink. He knew
that it was quite safe to do so, for Sammy Jay had followed the hunter,
all the time screaming, "Thief! thief! thief!" Every one within hearing
could tell just where that hunter was by Sammy's voice. It kept growing
fainter and fainter, and by that Lightfoot knew that the hunter was
getting farther and farther away.

Paddy the Beaver swam out from his hiding-place and climbed out on the
bank near Lightfoot. There was a twinkle in his eyes. "That blue-coated
mischief-maker isn't such a bad fellow at heart, after all, is he?" said
he.

Lightfoot lifted his beautiful head and set his ears forward to catch
the sound of Sammy's voice in the distance.

"Sammy Jay may be a mischief-maker, as some people say," said he, "but
you can always coun