enty of rabbit stew and turnips and potatoes, or squirrel and quail.
Audrey loved wild meat. "It's cleaner," she'd say, "and sweeter. Sweet
meats make pretty looks." Audrey smiled and showed her dimples and
little Tinie patted her mother's hand and looked up admiringly into her
face. Then off the two would skip through the woods to gather greens or
berries, chestnuts or wild turkey eggs, whatever the season might bring.

Sometimes they went hand in hand, Audrey and the child, past Amos
Tingley's place.

"Good day, to you," pretty Audrey Billberry would call out and Tinie
would say the same. "How goes it with you today, good neighbor?"

"Well enough," Amos answered, "and better still if I can get rid of that
pestering deer and her fawn. The two have laid waste my garden patch.
See yonder!" he pointed with the squirrel rifle. "And it won't be good
for the two the next time they come nibbling around here!"

Pretty Audrey Billberry gripped little Tinie's hand until the child
squealed and hopped on one foot. They looked at each other, then at the
gun. Fright came into their eyes. Audrey tried to laugh lightly. "When
you kill that deer be sure to bring me a piece, neighbor Tingley," she
said, as unconcerned as you please, and away she went with the little
girl at her side. When they reached home Audrey Billberry turned the
wood button on the door and flung back her head. "Kill a deer and her
fawn! There is no fear, Tinie. Why"--she scoffed--"Amos Tingley's got
only lead to load his rifle. I saw." She put her hands to her sides and
laughed and danced around the room. "Lead can't kill a deer and her
fawn. It takes silver! Silver! Do you hear that, Tinie? Silver hammered
and molded round to load the gun. And when, I'd like to know, would
skinflint Amos Tingley, the miser, ever destroy a silver coin by
pounding it into a ball to load a gun? There's nothing to fear. Rest
easy, Tinie. Besides all living creatures must eat. It is their right.
Only silver, remember, not lead, can harm the deer. A miser will keep
his silver and let his garden go!" She caught little Tinie by both hands
and skipped to and fro across the floor, saying over and over, "Only
silver can harm the deer."

The wind caught up her words and carried them through the trees, across
the ridge into Laurel Hollow.

While Audrey and Tinie skipped and frolicked and chanted, "Only silver
can harm the deer," Amos Tingley, the miser, over in Laurel Hollow was
busy at