and stepped out under the stars. He was feeling quite
himself again. His splendid strength had returned. He bounded lightly
across the meadow and up into the brushy pasture where the hunter had
been hidden. There and in the woods back of the pasture he browsed, but
at the first hint of the coming of another day, Lightfoot turned back,
and when his friend, the farmer, came out early in the morning to milk
the cows, there was Lightfoot back in the open shed. The farmer smiled.
"You are as wise as you are handsome, old fellow," said he.

CHAPTER XXVII

SAMMY JAY WORRIES

It isn't often Sammy Jay worries about anybody but himself. Truth to
tell, he doesn't worry about himself very often. You see, Sammy is
smart, and he knows he is smart. Under that pointed cap of his are some
of the cleverest wits in all the Green Forest. Sammy seldom worries
about himself because he feels quite able to take care of himself.

But Sammy Jay was worrying now. He was worrying about Lightfoot the
Deer. Yes, Sir, Sammy Jay was worrying about Lightfoot the Deer. For
two days he had been unable to find Lightfoot or any trace of Lightfoot.
But he did find plenty of hunters with terrible guns. It seemed to him
that they were everywhere in the Green Forest. Sammy began to suspect
that one of them must have succeeded in killing Lightfoot the Deer.

Sammy knew all of Lightfoot's hiding-places. He visited every one of
them. Lightfoot wasn't to be found, and no one whom Sammy met had seen
Lightfoot for two days.

Sammy felt badly. You see, he was very fond of Lightfoot. You remember
it was Sammy who warned Lightfoot of the coming of the hunter on the
morning when the dreadful hunting season began. Ever since the hunting
season had opened, Sammy had done his best to make trouble for the
hunters. Whenever he had found one of them he had screamed at the top of
his voice to warn every one within hearing just where that hunter was.
Once a hunter had lost his temper and shot at Sammy, but Sammy had
suspected that something of the kind might happen, and he had taken care
to keep just out of reach.

Sammy had known all about the chasing of Lightfoot by the hounds.
Everybody in the Green Forest had known about it. You see, everybody had
heard the voices of those hounds. Once, Lightfoot had passed right
under the tree in which Sammy was sitting, and a few moments later the
two hounds had passed with their noses to the ground as they followed
Light