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🟡 White Tail the Deer's Adventures (Full Audiobook) | George Ethelbert Walsh · Historical Adventure Audiobooks

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Story 1 of Whitetail the Deer's Adventures. This is a
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: by phone. Whitetail the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Whitetail jumps Stepping Stone Brook. Whitetail grew rapidly in size
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: and strength, his long clean limbs showing taut muscles and
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: great springing power, and his neck grew thick and short,
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: which is well for a buck who must use it
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: in savage thrusts when the head is a battering ram.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: His horns were short and bony, but they protruded in
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: front like knobs against which it would be unpleasant to fall.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: but his antlers were his pride. They spread out fan-shape
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: on his head, crowning it with a glory that made
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Mother Deer supremely happy. At times it seemed as if
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: the antlers were too heavy for the head and neck,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: but Whitetail carried them easily, and when he shook them
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: in sport or anger, anyone could see they were just
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: fitted to him. In time he stood as high as
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Father Buck, and a head taller than Mother Deer, The
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: day the tip of his antlers reached an inch above
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: Father Buck's, he felt a little thrill of pride. To
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: be as big and tall as his father had always
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: been his ambition. But while it pleased Father Buck that
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: his son was growing so big, it made him a
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: little sad. You will soon be ready to take my place,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: White Tail, he said. You're growing taller and stronger every day.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: That may be, Father Buck, he replied, but it will
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: be many a season before I can run as fast
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: and far as you or show the same strength in
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: a fight. Oh no, there's little chance of my equaling
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: you for many, many seasons. Father Buck merely smiled and
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: nodded his head. I want you to run out with
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: me to Stepping Stone Brook, he said simply. There is
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: something I want to show you. Whitetail was always eager
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: for a run with Father Buck. Nearly every day they
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: went off together to hunt and explore. Father Buck had
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: been teaching him all the ways and tricks of the
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: woods so that his education would be complete. It was
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: a cool, crisp day and they ran through the woods,
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: side by side, in long, gentle lopes until they came
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  Speaker 1: to Stepping Stone Brook. This was a small stream confined
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: between two ledges of rocks, with stones placed in it
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: for stepping across when one didn't want to wet the feet. Frequently,
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: the whole herd crossed it, using the stones so that
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: not a foot touched the water. When they reached the brook,
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: Whitetail immediately took a long drink of the cooling water,
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: for their run had made him hot and thirsty. Father
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: Buck watched him in silence. a very sad expression in
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: his beautiful eyes. There was admiration also, but a little sadness. Whitetail,
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: he said suddenly, I have brought you here to tell
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: you something. Stepping Stone Brook has always been the test
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: for our leaders. Here it is that many a youngster
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: has first earned his right to lead the herd, and alas,
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: many an older leader has broken his heart here. Whitetail
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: looked up in surprise and glanced from the speaker to
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: the trickling waters. He was clearly puzzled by the words
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: he had heard. No buck can be leader of the
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: herd unless he can jump across Stepping Stone Brook, clearing
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: it from bank to bank without faltering or stumbling. If
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: he fails, he must wait until he can make the leap. Many,
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: many have tried and failed, and others... Whitetail's eyes gleamed
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: with anticipation. He liked to take risks and attempt difficult tasks.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: I see, he said, laughing joyfully. You brought me here
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: to see if I could make the leap. Well, I
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: can do it. I'll show you. I won't disappoint you,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Father Buck. I know you won't, Whitetail, was the reply.
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: I shouldn't have brought you here so soon if I
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: thought you would fail. but I had another purpose too.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: What is it? asked Whitetail. I will tell you later.
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  Speaker 1: Now I want to see you take the leap. Years ago, many,
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: many seasons ago, I came here and took it. There
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  Speaker 1: on the rocks you can see the marks of my leap.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: It was one of the longest ever made by any
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: of our people. I was naturally proud of it. I
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: shall never forget that day. I think it was the
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: happiest of my life, except one. Which other one? asked Whitetail.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: The day I defeated Black Buck in the final struggle
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: for leadership, was the reply. It was a battle that
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: lasted for hours, and all the herd watched us. We
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: were down and up again and again, struggling, fighting and bucking,
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: until it seemed as if both of us would die
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: from exhaustion. But I finally won, I got him down
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: on his knees and then rolled him over and stood
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: there until he acknowledged my leadership. That, of course, was
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  Speaker 1: the happiest day of my life. Whitetail thrilled at this
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: story and for a moment forgot the thing he was
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: going to do until his father spoke again. Now let
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: me see you take the brook in the jump. Whitetail
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: trotted back on the embankment, but he discovered there was
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: little room for a start It was almost a standing leap.
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: That was why it was so hard. Across on the
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: other side, the embankment shelved down gradually to the shore,
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: with grass and moss covering the bald face of the rock.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Take your time, Father Buck cautioned. Measure the distance well,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: and do not spring unless you're sure of yourself. Many
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: a buck that failed the first time never got his
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: courage up to repeat it. It is the first leap
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: that counts. Reflecting long and earnestly on his father's words,
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Whitetail measured the distance with his eyes and then drew
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: back as far as he could. He gathered his powerful
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: hind legs together, squatted down on them, pawed the rock
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  Speaker 1: with his front ones and stood a moment in trembling anticipation.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: His nostrils dilated, his eyes flashed. Then, with a sudden
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: forward spring, he darted toward the edge of the rock,
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: and when he reached this, his hind hoofs dug on
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: the rock for a secure purchase. There was a momentary hesitation,
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: as if he had decided not to make the attempt.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: Then his body shot upward and outward across the brook,
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  Speaker 1: in the prettiest jump that any deer had ever taken.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: He cleared the brook, with its stepping-stones, past the opposite edge,
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: and landed all four hoofs firmly planted on the upper
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: part of the slope. He had made the jump successfully.
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: Father Buck crossed the stream on the stones and glanced
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: down at his old mark. A spirit of exultation seized him.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: You have passed my old mark, White Tail, beaten it
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: by a foot, he said. You will some day be leader,
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: I know. Whitetail was as much interested as his father
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: in his triumph. He examined the mark, and then wanted
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: to repeat the jump to see if he could better it. No,
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: cautioned Father Buck. Once is sufficient. The second time may
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: not be so good. You have established your mark. We
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: will scratch it here with our hoofs as a challenge
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  Speaker 1: to all others. Let young Black Buck beat it if
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: he can. Until he does, that is your mark. Whitetail
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: accepted his order and made no further attempt to jump
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: the brook. If young Black Buck beats it some day,
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: then he would have a chance to try it again, and,
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: if possible, score a longer jump. What was your other
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: purpose in bringing me here today? he asked, remembering his
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: father's words. Ah, that is the sad part of it,
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: sighed Father Buck. But you must know, I will show you.
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: Just what he meant will appear in the next story.
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  Speaker 1: End of story one. Father Buck's Failure father buck walked
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: across the brook again and took his place on the
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: rock from which the jump was made white tail immediately
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  Speaker 1: concluded he was going to show him how much farther
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  Speaker 1: he could jump when he was a young buck. I
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: know you will beat me, Whitetail said, but if you do,
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  Speaker 1: won't you give me another chance? Yes, if such a
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: miracle should happen, was the reply. Whitetail stood eagerly watching
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: while his father crouched as he had for the springs.
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  Speaker 1: How noble he looked with his big antlered head, with
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: streaks of grey and white hair curling around the roots.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: Whitetail was proud of him. Suddenly Father Buck rushed forward,
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: hesitated at the brink to get a good purchase with
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  Speaker 1: his hoofs, and then up in the air and straight
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  Speaker 1: across his body shot. Whitetail watched him with gleaming eyes.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: Then something happened which startled him. The spring had not
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: been as powerful as he thought, for instead of beating
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  Speaker 1: Whitetail's mark or reaching his own, Father Buck missed the
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: shore by a foot. His hind legs actually splashed in
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: the water.' What happened?' exclaimed Whitetail in amazement. Did you slip, or... or... No,
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: replied Father Buck sadly. It was as I expected. I
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: am getting old, White Tail, and I have lost my spring.
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  Speaker 1: I have reached the age where I am no longer
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  Speaker 1: qualified to lead the herd. If any of the other
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: bucks knew this, they would instantly demand a new leader.
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: It's the law of the herd. But, but, stammered Whitetail,
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  Speaker 1: you could do it again. He didn't get a good start. No,
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  Speaker 1: it wasn't that, Whitetail. It was my age. I can
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  Speaker 1: no longer spring across Stepping Stone Brook. I am not
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  Speaker 1: fit to be the leader of the herd. Father Buck's
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: proud head drooped, and something like a tear gleamed in
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  Speaker 1: his eyes. It was hard to acknowledge that he was failing,
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  Speaker 1: and that in a few seasons he would be looked
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  Speaker 1: upon as a useless old buck who would have to
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: take orders from another much younger than he. But it
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: was the law of the herd, and the law of life.
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  Speaker 1: I can't believe it, exclaimed Whitetail. I won't believe it.
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  Speaker 1: I know you can leap across the brook. You must
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: try it again. What I can do, you can do.
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Father Buck raised his head and smiled. All the sadness
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: left his eyes, and pride and gratefulness took its place.' No, Whitetail,'
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: he replied.' I cannot do it. I put in that
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: jump all the strength I had, and I failed. But
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: don't think I'm sad. I'm not. I knew it had
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: to come some day, but I'm glad that my son
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: can take my place.' I can be happy yet, and
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: Mother dear will share it with me, because you have
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: qualified so well to be our leader. I am thankful
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: for that. But Whitetail was not convinced. It was hard
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: for him to accept the truth. Father Buck was still
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: to him the finest, proudest, wisest and strongest leader he knew,
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: and he wanted him to continue so. Some other day,
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: when you feel better, you will come out here and
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: try to jump again, he said. I know you don't
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: feel well today. Tomorrow you will feel better. Father Buck
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: shook his head slowly. I see you are hard to convince, Whitetail,
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  Speaker 1: but I will show you in another way. How far
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: is it from here to Puma's hunting ground? Ten miles
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: or more. Then we will go to it. We will
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: race to it at a good speed. I want you
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  Speaker 1: to set the pace the swiftest you can. You must
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: run as if Puma or Timber Wolf was on your trail.
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: I will follow. You must neither look to the right
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: or to the left or back of you. Run with
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: all your might. You will follow close behind me? I
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: will follow you. Now Whitetail looked with glee upon his run.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: for he was in a fine condition. His limbs seemed
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: aching for a long, hard run, and his father wanted
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: to see how quickly he could make the race. He
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: would show him. He wouldn't disappoint him. Shortly afterward, he
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: started off, taking a broad trail through the woods. He
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: trotted along merrily, and soon began running in long leaps
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: and bounds that carried him far and fast. When he
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: came to obstructions in his path, he leaped over them
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: as easily as a boy or girl would jump over
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: a log. Faster and faster he flew through the woods,
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: his fine head set well back and his antlers almost
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: resting on his neck. His eyes were kept glued to
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: the trail ahead. He ran so easily and smoothly that
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: it seemed as if he was making no effort. For
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: the first five miles he showed hardly any results of
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: his wild run, but in the last half of the
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: distance he began to perspire a little, and the white
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: foam settled on his flanks. But he never stopped or
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: turned until he reached the boundary line of Puma's hunting ground.
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: Then he halted and whirled around. How was that? he asked.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: But Father Buck was not there. He was alone. His
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: father was nowhere in sight. Startled and surprised by this,
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: he trotted back a few paces and called to him. Then,
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: not finding him, he became frightened. Had something happened to
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: his father? Perhaps Puma had sprung out of the bushes
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: and killed him, or Timber Wolf had driven him off
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: the trail, and was even now chasing him. Whitetail was
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: so alarmed that he retraced his footsteps, calling every little
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: while for Father Buck. It was a dangerous thing to do,
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: for in calling he might attract Puma or Timber Wolf,
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: but his anxiety for his father made him forget all caution.
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: He found him a long way back on the trail,
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: lying in the bushes, panting with exhaustion. As soon as
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: he discovered him, Whitetail ran up to him with a
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: little bleat of joy. Oh, I thought something terrible had
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: happened to you, he exclaimed. What is it? Did you stumble?
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: You haven't broken a leg, have you? No, White Tail,
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: was the panting reply. Nothing has happened to me. I
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: couldn't keep up with you. I tried my best. I
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: hung on until I fell down with exhaustion. I have
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: run my last race. I did it to show you
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: that I am growing older. and that my powers are weakening.
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: You would not be convinced when I failed to leap
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: the brook. Now you will have to believe. Then it
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: dawned upon Whitetail that the race to Puma's hunting ground
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: was simply to show him that his father could no
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: longer keep up with the young bucks of the herd.
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: It was hard for Father Buck thus to show his
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: failing powers, but it was better to do it with
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: his son as the only witness. than to fail before
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: all the herd. It is my downfall, White Tail, he added,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: but I wanted only you as witness. Now you know.
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: My leadership will soon end, but when the day comes,
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: you must be able to take my place. That will
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: be my satisfaction, and your mother's. She knew that the
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: time was approaching, and she will not be heavy hearted.
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: Whitetail was terribly distressed by this news, but after a
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: while a fierce joy came to him. I shall prove
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: myself worthy of you, Father Buck, he said. Yes, I
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: will take your place. I will fight for it now
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: that you and Mother Deer want it. Yes, I will
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: fight for the leadership until the last breath. Those are
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: the words I've longed to hear, Whitetail. Now I am contented.
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: We will return to the herd. My day's work is done.
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: As they trotted slowly back to the herd, they planned
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: for the future. Both knew that the future race would
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: be between Whitetail and Young Black Buck, but of this
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: you will read in the next story. End of story two.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: Story three. Young Black Buck had, of course, been in
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: training all this time, for it is the law of
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: the deer that none shall aspire for the leadership of
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: a herd until he has learned all the ways of
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: the woods, and can outpace and outjump his father and mother.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: All the laws of the deer are very strict, for
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: the safety of all depends upon the leader. Black Buck
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: had taken his son through the woods, as Father Buck
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: had taken Whitetail, showing him the dangers and pitfalls, and
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: instructing him how to avoid them, and what to do
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: when danger threatened. He had taken him secretly to Stepping
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: Stone Brook, and made him jump it, and he had
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: tested his speed and endurance in a race with himself.
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: Father Buck had no illusions about what Black Buck was doing,
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: and he tried to prepare Whitetail to meet young Black
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: Buck on equal terms. It was like bringing up two
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: boys and for a contest in speed, strength, endurance, wisdom,
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: and courage. It was a Spartan education, but it was
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: necessary for the good of the herd. Then one day
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: the clash came for a preliminary trial of skill. The
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: herd had wandered down from the timberland to the open
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: woods below, where the new buds of the birches offered
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: succulent food. There was no sign of danger in the air,
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: and the herd grazed peacefully on soft young twigs and
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: opening buds. When they had wandered to the brink of
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: the canyon that cut through the north woods below Stepping
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: Stone Brook, the leaders paused and started to turn the
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: young does and fawns back. It was dangerous to permit
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: them to eat too close to the edge of the precipice.
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: If one should fall over, the rocks below would crack
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: every bone in its body. Black Buck suddenly raised his
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: head and then whispered to his son, Think you can
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: jump the canyon safely? If so, it is a good
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: time to challenge Whitetail. We may find out then what
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: he can do. If he barks at it, we will
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: know he is timid or under-trained. Young Black Buck walked
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: to the edge and gazed down it and then across it.
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: It was a dangerous leap, for if he missed by
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: an inch, he would fall to the bottom thirty feet below,
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: where the hard rocks would crush him. He sniffed the air,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: and then returned to his father's side. I can do it,
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: he replied. I've made longer jumps. Yes, but if you
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: should fail, you would be killed. Make sure of yourself
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: before you sound the challenge. Go below, where the canyon
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: is not so steep but just as wide. Practice there
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: alone until you have confidence. If you fail, no harm
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: will be done. You can wait another day. Young Black
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: Buck separated himself from the herd and made his way
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: to a point half a mile down the canyon. On
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: either side here, the rocks were covered with moss and turf,
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: and the edges dropped only a few feet. If he failed,
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: the fall would not hurt him. Unseen by the others,
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: he made the attempt and cleared the space successfully in
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: the first leap. Then, to make sure, he tried it
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: again and again, plighting easily on the opposite embankment each time.
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: Gloating with pride and triumph, he trotted back to Black
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: Buck and reported, I never failed once. If the distance
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: here is no greater across, I can do it easily.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: It is no greater, but if anything a few inches less,
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: replied Black Buck. If you can do it below, you
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: will do it here. Issue the challenge. Young Black Buck
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: trotted away, and raising his head in the air, a
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: peculiar bellowing noise issued from his throat. It was the
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: buck's challenge to a contest. Every deer knew its meaning
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: and raised a head to see who was calling. Whitetail,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: feeding some distance off with Mother Deer and Father Buck,
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: heard it and instantly turned his head in Young Black
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: Buck's direction. It's Young Black Buck's challenge, whispered Father Buck.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: You must accept it. It may be a challenge to
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: erase or fight. Whatever it is, you must accept it.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: I'm ready, replied Whitetail, starting off. Who will lead the
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: canyon with me? bellowed young Black Buck. I shall lead
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: where none dare follow. None shall then dispute my claim
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: to leadership. Come those who dare. Before Whitetail reached the spot,
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: the whole herd was crowding around the challenger. They saw
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: a prospect of a free entertainment. and they bucked and
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: butted each other to get in front. None of the
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: other young bucks had accepted the challenge. One glance at
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: the yawning depth of the canyon had made them withdraw
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: with sickening fear. It looked much deeper than it was,
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: and twice as wide. Whitetail pushed his way through the
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: crowds until he stood before young Black Buck. The sight
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: of him brought a quick remark from the challenger's mouth.' You!
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: Whitetail!' he exclaimed.' You wish to accept the challenge? Beware
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: how you speak without thinking. Go and look down the chasm.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: It means death if you fail. Think twice before you speak.'
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: Now when Father Buck heard the nature of the challenge,
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: he felt a great fear. He had never shown the
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: canyon to Whitetail, and he didn't know whether he could
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: leap across it or not. He reproached himself for omitting
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: this part of his training. Mother Deer's heart gave a
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: great throb. If Whitetail failed, she knew he would be
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: crushed to death on the rocks below. She could not
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: endure such a sight. Better that her son should lose
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: the leadership than be killed. No, no, Whitetail, she cried.
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: You must not accept the challenge.
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: You must not. I can't lose you. Black Buck, who
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: had been standing back of the crowd, heard, and was
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: greatly pleased, for he knew now that Father Buck hadn't
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: taught Whitetail to jump the canyon. Few had ever taken
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: the leap without practicing first at the place below, where
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: there was no danger. It was the fear of not
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: being able to clear the distance that caused the real danger.
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: You must not say that, interrupted Father Buck, frowning at
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Mother Deer. The honour of our family is at stake.
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: Whitetail must accept the challenge. Before Mother Deer could answer this,
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: Whitetail had settled the dispute. Whatever you can do, young
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: black buck, he said, I will do. More than that,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: I will lead. You will take the leap first, queried
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: young black buck. Then, as the challenger, I have the
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: right of choice. You can go first, Whitetail. But where
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: I go, you must follow, retorted Whitetail. If not, you
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: shall be forever disgraced. If you are afraid, I'll lead,
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: sneered Young Black Buck. No, I'll go first. Whitetail didn't
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: even go to the edge of the precipice to look
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: down or to measure the distance across. What was the use?
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: He would make the greatest jump of his life. If
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: he failed, he would die knowing he had done his best.
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: What more could he do? He ran back a short distance,
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: and then, facing the canyon, he made a swift dash
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: for it. At the brink, he threw all his strength
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: in a mighty leap, and his body shot upward and outward,
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: forming a beautiful curve. He kept his eyes ahead and
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: never once looked down. It was a splendid jump. It
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: carried him clear across the canyon and landed him safely
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: a yard beyond the opposite edge. He knew by the
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: shouts that he had succeeded even before his feet touched ground. Then,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: with a proud toss of his head, he turned and
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: looked at young Black Buck. It was his turn now.
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: Could he do it? End of story three. Story four
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: of Whitetail the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh. This
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: Libervox recording is in the public domain. Father Buck's Decision
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck was greatly chagrined at Whitetail's great jump,
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: for he knew that he had crossed the canyon without
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: any previous trainings. It showed that Whitetail had courage as
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: well as strength and skill. It was a triumph for
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: him that none appreciated more than Young Black Buck and
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: his father. Now, Young Black Buck, Whitetail called from the
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: opposite side, follow me or forever cease challenging. There was
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: nothing for Young Black Buck to do but take the jump.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: All eyes were turned on him. For the first time
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: a feeling of fear possessed him. He had looked down
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: the chasm and knew what waited him if he fell short.
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: Suppose he should make a false step or stumble at
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: the last moment. The fall would be terrible. If not
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: actually killed, he would break his legs at the very least.
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: Black Buck saw the expression of fear in his son's
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: eyes and whispered to him, Don't look below. Keep your
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: eyes up and ahead. Young Black Buck gathered himself for
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: the short run and long jump. He knew that he
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: had to take it and that he had to succeed.
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: He ran with all his might and then sprang forward
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: in a quick spring. If it hadn't been for his nervousness,
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: he certainly would have cleared the chasm without accident. The chagrin,
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: anger and fear had possession of him, and they were
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: responsible for a misstep at the last moment. When his
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: body was launched through the air, he knew he hadn't
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: put in the jump all the power he had. Then, too,
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: the fear of a failure alarmed him. He glanced down
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: and saw the terrible chasm yawning below to receive him.
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: This gave his body a side lurch. and instead of
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: clearing the chasm in a beautiful jump his forefeet touched
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: the opposite side only a foot from the edge and
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: his hind hoofs missed it by an inch no one
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: could see the accident so quickly or plainly as white
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: tail who stood within a few feet of him he
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: saw that young black buck was going to miss before
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: his front hoofs touched the embankment Now, the thought of
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: his missing the rock and falling to the bottom of
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: the chasm in a broken heap horrified Whitetail so that
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: he forgot all his triumph and desire to win. His
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: greatest desire was to save young Black Buck from an
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: awful death. Before he reached the embankment, Whitetail jumped to
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: the edge, and quick as a wink stretched forth his head,
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: caught young Black Buck by a prong of his antlers.
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: He got a good hold with his teeth, and then
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: as the leaping buck's hind feet slipped down and his
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: body began to sway backward, Whitetail braced his feet and
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: jerked backward with all his strength. It was enough to
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: overcome the balance of the frightened jumper. Instead of falling
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: backward into the chasm, he stumbled forward, and then, catching
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: his hind hoofs on the edge, he managed to climb
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: up the embankment. It was all done so quickly and skillfully,
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: that the watchers on the opposite bank hardly knew what
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: had happened. They knew in some way that young Black
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: Buck had stumbled and nearly fallen in the chasm. They
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: had also seen Whitetail reach forward and grab or push him.
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: They couldn't very well say just what he did. But
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: Black Buck, seeing that his son had failed, and angry
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: at the thought of Whitetail's triumph, was quick to see
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: a way to change defeat into triumph. Before his son
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: could recover his breath and stop his trembling, Black Buck
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: roared out with all his might, Foul! That was a foul!
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: Whitetail got in the way and tried to throw my
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: son off the precipice. No, no, several shouted. Not that.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: Whitetail wouldn't do that. Ask my son if what I
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: say isn't true. He should know, rumbled Black Buck. Young
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: Black Buck was almost as quick as his father to
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: see the chance of redeeming himself in the eyes of
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: the whole herd, and he shook his head with delight.
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: His fear and trembling all left him. Speak, young Black Buck,
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: shouted his father. Did White Hill interfere with you? Speak
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: before it is too late. Young Black Buck was ready
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: with his answer. Yes, he stood in my way, he replied.
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: and when I reached the edge, he bit at me
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: and tried to push me off the edge. Whitetail started
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: in surprise and horror at this accusation, for he was
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: too stunned to speak. Then, when he realized what the
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: charge meant, he said, You know I didn't do that,
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: young black buck. If I hadn't grabbed your antlers, you
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: would have fallen over and been crushed to death. Oh,
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: how could you say such a thing? That's a fine
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: story to tell, jeered young Black Buck. Who do you
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: think will believe it? You wanted to kill me so
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: you could have no challenger for the leadership. Well, I'm alive,
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: and I'll beat you to it yet. Now the uproar
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: on the other side was intense. Some believed that Whitetail
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: had actually tried to push his rival down the chasm,
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: and others were equally certain that the son of Father
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: Buck could never be guilty of such a crime. The
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: commotion was approaching the proportions of a riot when Father
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: Buck brought silence with a roar of authority. Be quiet,
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: he bellowed. We must settle this dispute right. If my
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: son was guilty of such a crime, I would be
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: the first to disown him and drive him from the
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: herd in disgrace. But if he is innocent, I will
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: back him up with all my might. He turned fiercely
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: on Black Buck as he said this. his eyes flashing
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: and his antlers bobbing threateningly. Black Buck was not anxious
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: to get in a fight with the leader, and he
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: backed away, grumbling. I will protect my son too, he
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: breathed angrily, if he is right. That is your duty,
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: roared Father Buck, and it is your duty to denounce
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: him if he is in the wrong. Will you do
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: that also? Black Buck made some inaudible reply, and backed
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: still further away from the flashing eyes.' Who saw Whitetail
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: push young Black Buck off the edge?' asked Father Buck,
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: addressing the crowd. A dozen or more voices answered in
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: the affirmative. Without changing the expression of his face, Father
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: Buck then added,' Who saw Whitetail grab young Black Buck
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: and try to save him from a fall?' An equal
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: number of voices responded promptly. to make sure Father Buck
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: counted them, and then counted those who had answered in
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: favor of young Black Buck. They were the same. Twenty
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: yeas and twenty noes. That makes it hard for me
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: to decide, murmured Father Buck. A tie is never a
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: pleasant vote for a leader, for he must decide then
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: one way or the other himself. In this case it's
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: doubly hard for me. He stopped and looked at the herd,
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: and then added, You know me, and you know I
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: would be the last to decide in favor of my
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: son if I thought he was wrong. Therefore, in giving
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: my decision, I know you will think I'm doing justice.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: Then I say to you that I saw White Hill
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: help young Black Buck up the slope. Had it not
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: been for his help, one of our number would be
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: down below there, dead. There was a silence, and a
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: shudder passed through the whole herd. Father Buck's decision did
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: not affect him so much as the thought of what
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: might have happened. They were glad that it had ended
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: this way, with no bones broken. Whitetail was exonerated in
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: their eyes. End of story four Story 5 of White
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: Tail the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh. This LibriVox
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Young Black Buck's Challenge
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: to Erase White Tail was so angry at Young Black
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: Buck for accusing him falsely that for a moment after
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: Father Buck's decision he couldn't find his tongue to speak.
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: He simply glared at Young Black Buck and for the
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: first time there came into his mind a desire to
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: punish his accuser. He knew then that he would have
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: to fight his antagonist some day, and the battle would
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: be a long and hard one, with neither side giving
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: any terms. When the excitement had quieted a little, he
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: turned to young Black Buck and said, You know that
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: you spoke falsely, and knowing it, your conscience should trouble you.
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck grinned. But nobody else knows it, he replied. Therefore,
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: my conscience don't troll me much. Someday, added Whitetail, you
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: will pay for this. We want no deceiver as the
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: leader of the herd. I'll battle you for the position. Oh,
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: sneered the other. That's a pretty speech, Whitetail. But we
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: can't battle for the leadership until Father Buck has failed
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: in the chase or hunt. He's leader until then. but
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: the day will come when it will be between you
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: and me. And then, replied young Black Buck, airily, I'll
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: see that you get the worst licking you ever had. No,
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: I think it will be the other way. Whitetail crossed
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: the chasm again and joined the herd. There were plenty
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: to sympathize with him, and they expressed themselves frankly, but
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: there were not lacking others who admired young Black Buck
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: and felt that he had been unjustly accused. Mother Deer
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: whispered in her son's ears, Never mind, White Tail. We
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: have to learn to take such things in life unselfishly.
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: Right always triumphs in the end. Don't let it worry you.
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: It doesn't worry me, Mother Deer. but it makes me
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: feel angry. Further conversation was stopped by Father Buck announcing
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: that the herd would go to the lower timberland to
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: graze on the succulent grass that bordered Puma's hunting ground.
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: The grass was in the rich, tender stage, and the
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: deer enjoyed it as a sort of luxury. The fact
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: that Puma had selected this spot as his special hunting
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: ground could not keep the deer away, and Father Buck's
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: announcement was hailed with delight. We must keep together, he cautioned,
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: with the does and fawns inside and the bucks outside,
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: for Puma may be abroad, although he's not to be
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: feared so much in the daytime. If he's asleep in
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: his lair, we won't disturb him. This vice of danger
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: added to the zest of the adventure. The grass always
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: had a much sweeter taste and a richer flavour when
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: it was gathered right under the nose of Puma. The
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: young bucks kicked up their heels and ran ahead. While
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: they were not anxious to draw Puma from his lair,
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: they wanted to show to the fawns and does that
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: they were unafraid. If Puma comes for me, I'll show
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: him a clean pair of heels, boasted one. And I,
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: said another, will give him a race that he'll never forget.
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: Little did they know of what they were boasting. Puma,
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: the mountain lion, never laid any great claim to swift
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: long-distance running. He knew he was no match for the
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: fleet deer in this respect. But he had ways and
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: tricks of his own. His favorite method was to hide
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: among the thick foliage of the trees, and when a
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: buck or doe passed underneath, to spring upon its back.
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: Once caught in this way, no deer had a chance
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: to escape. All the speed in the world would not
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: avail the poor creature then, Puma was a terrible hunter.
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: At night he roamed about dark woods and scented out
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: his sleeping prey, and with one blow from his great
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: paw he could break the back of a buck or
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: crush the skull of a smaller animal. He could climb
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: a tree like a cat and crouch flat in the
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: bushes out of sight to spring up as swiftly as
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: a deer leaping a chasm. All the older deer knew
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: the ways of Puma, some from terrifying experiences, and others
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: only from hearsay. Ever since Father Buck had been leader
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: of the herd, they had avoided Puma, and not one
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: had fallen a prey to his voracious appetite. Perhaps they
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: didn't fully appreciate this, for continued safety from danger often
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: makes us think there is no real danger after all.
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: So when he proposed leading the herd down to the
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: succulent grass bordering the woods where Puma hunted, he took
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: great precaution to avoid any risk. Several of the older
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: bucks were sent ahead scouting, and they returned at intervals
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: to report. Father Buck led them down to the broad,
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: shallow stream that he and Whitetail had crossed that day
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: on their return from Puma's hunting ground. but instead of
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: wading down the river a short distance, the leader kept
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: them wading until they had skirted the hunting ground of
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: Timber Wolf. He had almost as much fear of timber
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: as of Puma. They kept to the left bank of
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: the stream, and then crossed a shallow ford where the
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: grass and reeds grew in such dense masses. They began
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: feeding at once, but not until bucks had been sent
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: inland to scout for Pumas. They returned to report that
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: Puma was not abroad. They had crossed and recrossed his
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: old trails, but there was no fresh scent in the air.
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: He's probably sleeping after a good night of hunting, Black
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: Buck remarked. I don't think there's any danger. But the
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: leader was taking no chances. He posted scouts in the
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: woods and on high rocks where they could watch, listen
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: and smell. Then the rest of the herd enjoyed their
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: feast of rich grass and reeds. They munched greedily at them,
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: their eyes filled with happiness, and making as little noise
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: as possible. Now young Black Buck should have been satisfied
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: to eat and enjoy himself with the rest, but after
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: he had filled his stomach he began to feel so
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: much better that he trotted around from one group to
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: another in a most restless manner. Seeing Whitetail feeding alone,
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: A sudden desire to get even with him for the
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: morning's work seized him.' Ho, Whitetail,' he called,' I challenge
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: you to a race. We'll scare a puma, maybe, but
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: that will give us a good chance to show him
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: how little we are afraid of him.'' Is it wise
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: to arouse him?
• 44:50
  Speaker 3: asked Whitetail.' Wise?' sniffed Young Black Buck.' Must you ask
• 44:56
  Speaker 3: that question whenever you want to do something?' But if
• 44:59
  Speaker 3: you're afraid to race me through this hunting ground, well
• 45:02
  Speaker 3: and good, I'll go alone. I'm not afraid, replied Whitetail,
• 45:08
  Speaker 3: and I will accept your challenge if the older ones
• 45:11
  Speaker 3: say it is all right. Young Black Buck reported the
• 45:15
  Speaker 3: matter to the leaders, and after a consultation, Father Buck announced,
• 45:20
  Speaker 3: We're ready to go home, and if Puma is aroused,
• 45:23
  Speaker 3: we'll flee. Perhaps it's a good plan to give young
• 45:26
  Speaker 3: Black Buck and Whitetail a chance to see Puma. They
• 45:30
  Speaker 3: will be on the lookout for him, and when he
• 45:33
  Speaker 3: appears they can run home. Yes, they must learn someday
• 45:37
  Speaker 3: to meet him, and it is well that it should
• 45:39
  Speaker 3: be today. With the consent of the leader of the herd,
• 45:44
  Speaker 3: the two young bucks started off into the lower woods
• 45:47
  Speaker 3: to make a complete circuit of Puma's hunting ground. It
• 45:51
  Speaker 3: was a long, wild run, and they would need all
• 45:54
  Speaker 3: their strength and powers. Father Buck started them off, and
• 45:58
  Speaker 3: they disappeared in the woods like two arrows shot from
• 46:01
  Speaker 3: a bow. What happened to them in the race will
• 46:05
  Speaker 3: be told in the next story.
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: End of Story 5 Story 6 of White Tail the
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh This Libervox recording is
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Downey the Woodpecker brings startling news.
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: Swift as the wind, and almost as silently, Whitetail and
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck swept through the low timberland, skirting the
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: edge of Pumas Hunting Ground so they could circuit it
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: and return to the starting point. Like two good long-distance runners,
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: neither made an effort to take the lead at first,
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: It was to be a test of endurance rather than
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: of short sprinting. Silently, side by side, they ran at first,
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: leaping over fallen logs and trees in long graceful jumps,
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: and spurting in sharp bursts of speed where the trail
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: was broad and open. It was not until they had
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: covered the first mile that first one and then the
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: other attempted to take the lead. Young Black Buck shot
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: ahead first, taking advantage of an open trail, but a
• 47:21
  Speaker 1: moment later Whitetail leaped over a clump of bushes and
• 47:25
  Speaker 1: rushed ahead. Young Black Buck pushed in the lead again
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: at the first opportunity. Neither took these short spurts seriously,
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: for they indicated nothing, not until they had covered the
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: second mile did they begin to let out in real earnestness.
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: Black Buck then, to see whether Whitetail was beginning to
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: show any strain, rushed ahead, and spread himself out in
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: a long steady lope. Whitetail kept close behind him until
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: his speed began to slacken, and then to show that
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: he was still fresh and strong, he dashed ahead and
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: took the lead, then followed another mile of hard running.
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: Both bucks were beginning to perspire freely now, and the
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: white lather showed on their flanks, but neither one was
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: winded or anywhere near the end of their strength. Whitetail
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: felt that he could keep up the gait nearly all day.
• 48:20
  Speaker 1: He felt singularly fresh and strong. They had made half
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: the circuit before either could try to out-distance the other.
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: The rest of the race would decide which was the champion.
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: Either they had to run abreast of each other until
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: the end, or one had to take the lead. Suddenly,
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: to Whitetail's surprise, young Black Buck slowed down and said,
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: We're on even terms up to this point, Whitechill. Suppose
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: we rest a while, and then go on. The woods
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: are so beautiful here, and I want to see what
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: kind of place Puma lives in. He's around here somewhere,
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: I suppose. Yes, I came here one day with Father Buck,
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: and he showed me where Puma was. I smelled him
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: and heard him. How exciting, exclaimed Young Black Buck. I
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: wonder if we'll hear and smell him today. I want
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: to know what he looks like. I'm not so interested
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: in that, laughed Whitetail. I don't want to get so
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: close to him that he can see me. No, but
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: we might see him, and then steal silently away without
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: being caught. Whitetail wasn't so sure of that. He had
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: a wholesome dread of Puma's hunting powers. We might stumble
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: upon him and he sees us first, he added. He's
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: very sly and can hide so no one can see him.
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: But we could smell him first. Not if we were
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: on the wrong side of the wind. Have you noticed
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: which way the wind is blowing? Why, yes, from the right.
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: Then we don't have to fear anything on that side.
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: We must keep our eyes and ears open on the left.
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: It's my opinion, said Young Black Buck slowly, that Puma's
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: greatly overrated. Why, he hasn't killed one of the herd
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: as long as anyone can remember. No, but that's because
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: Father Buck has been such a wise leader. Young Black
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: Buck sniffed in scorn. I don't know that he's been
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: any better or wiser than other leaders, was the retort.
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: If my father had been leader... Puma or Timber Wolf
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: wouldn't have caught a deer. They wouldn't have dared. They're
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: all afraid of him. Whitetail felt that this boasting wouldn't
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: get them anywhere, and would in the end lead to
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: unpleasant words. But he knew that if Puma or Timber
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: Wolf heard it, they would laugh in glee. If you're rested,
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: suppose we go back, Whitetail said. We're going to make
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: quicker time back. I'm going to run my best. And
• 51:08
  Speaker 1: I too. I'm going to beat you. I'm sorry you
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: got tired out and had to rest. Well, I'm ready.
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: Whitetail could afford a smile at this remark, for young
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: Black Buck had made a request to stop for a
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: short time. Tired out. Why, he felt as fresh and
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: strong as when they started. He would punish young Black
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: Buck by making his defeat as unpleasant as he could.
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: But before either one could start for the return trip,
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: there was a noise among the leaves of the spruce
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: tree under which they were standing, and with visions of
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: Puma crouching among the branches ready to drop down upon them,
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: their hearts gave a great bound and almost stood still.
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: In another moment they would have been off like a shock,
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: but there was a flutter of wings, and Downey the woodpecker,
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: who had made the noise with his beak, spoke.' Hist, listen!'
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: he called.' Listen, white-tailed!' And you too, young black buck.
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: Both of the runners stopped and looked up among the
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: branches of the trees where Downey was sitting. Puma's on
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: your trail, Downey added. He caught your wind way back there,
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: and he's been trailing you ever since. I saw him
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: and hurried to tell you. Thank you, Downey, replied Whitetail.
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: It's time we were off. He can never catch us
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: if he's behind. I didn't say he was behind you,
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: replied Downey. He was on your trail, but Pumas too
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: wise to follow you that way. You don't know him.
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: When he picked up your trail, he followed you by
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: the wind. While you were running around in a circle,
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: he's been cutting across it. He's between you and the herd.
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: In that case, said Young Black Buck in a frightened voice,
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: we'll take a wide circuit and he'll miss us. Again,
• 53:05
  Speaker 1: Downey shook his head. You are young, he said, and
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: don't know how Puma hunts. He hunts with his mate,
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: and she'll be off to the right to head you off.
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: Then what can we do? asked Young Black Buck, his
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: leg shaking and his voice trembling. I really don't know
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: what to say. I came here to tell you of
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: your danger. I can't tell you what to do. Couldn't
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: we go back a little on our track and then
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: get around Puma and his mate? asked Whitetail, struggling hard
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: to keep cool. I'm afraid if you do that, you'll
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: run into Timber Wolf and his family. Puma gave him
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: the alarm, and he's out with his whole pack to
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: cut you off in that direction. By this time, young
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: Black Buck was so excited and frightened that he hardly
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: knew what to do. To be cornered by Puma and
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: Timber Wolf, with all the yelping back, was a terrible thing,
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: and there seemed no way of escape. A sudden rustling
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: in the bushes made him jump nearly five feet away.
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: Even Whitetail leaped to one side. But it wasn't Puma
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: or Timber Wolf. It was Washer the raccoon, and what
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: Washer had to propose will appear in the next story.
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: Washer was considered a very wise, shrewd animal, and perhaps
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: he had a way for them to escape. End of
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: Story 6 Story 7 of White-Tailed Deer's Adventures by George
• 54:47
  Speaker 1: Ethelbert Walsh This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: A Race with Puma and Timbers Washer the raccoon poked
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: his nose out of the bushes and looked blinkingly at
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: Whitetail and Young Black Buck, while Downy the woodpecker gazed
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: down at all three with an expression in his eyes
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: that plainly said, Well, I'm glad I've got wings and
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: can fly away if I want to. Goodness, grunted Whitetail,
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: you frightened the life out of us, Washer. We thought
• 55:23
  Speaker 1: you were puma or timber creeping upon us. Well, I've
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: been mistaken for Groundy and Billy Mink, but never for
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: Puma or Timber before, replied Washer. It must be that
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: you're excited or have a bad conscience. I wonder which
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: it is. Not the latter, I hope, answered Whitetail. But
• 55:46
  Speaker 1: as for being excited, I think we have good reason
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: for that. Downey just brought us word that Puma and
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: Timber with their families are on our trail. and have
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: us surrounded. Washer sat up on his hind legs and
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: leaned against a tree. His shrewd golden eyes flashed brightly
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: in the sunshine, and his double row of white teeth
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: glistened every time he opened his mouth. If that's the case,
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: he said, I think it's about time I took to
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: my hole. I have no love or respect for Puma
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: and Timber. Neither have we, said young Black Buck. but
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: we have no hole to run in. What are we
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: going to do? If you only had wings, I could
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: answer that question, interrupted Downey. I know what I'd do.
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: And if you had a hole you could crawl in,
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: I could advise you, added Washer. Of course, this brought
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: no relief to either Whitetails or Young Black Buck's harassed minds.
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: They weren't interested in what Downey or Washer would do.
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: They wanted to know what they could do to escape
• 56:57
  Speaker 1: the terrible trap. Suddenly, to make their situation more desperate,
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: a distant howl rent the air. It was Timber Wolf
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: calling to the pack. Almost instantly, there was an answering
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: cry on the left, then another in front, and a
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: third on the right. It's the pack's hunting cry, exclaimed Washer.
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: They're calling to each other as they close in. Yes,
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: they've picked up your scent, Whitetail. Young Black Buck got
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: so frightened and excited that he leaped around in a circle,
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: uttering plaintive little whimpers. I'm going to run, he said,
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: even if I do nothing but go around and around
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: in circles. I can't stand still. You'd better save your strength,
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck, advised Whitetail. You may need all of
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: it for the race, for it is clear to me
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: that we must trust to our heels to beat them.
• 57:58
  Speaker 1: What's that? exclaimed Young Black Buck, as a snarl in
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: the distance alarmed them. It's Puma and his mate creeping
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: up from this direction, said Whitetail, more alarmed than ever.
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: With Puma and his mate in the rear, and Timberspack
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: in front and on either side, what chance do we have?
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: Wait a minute, exclaimed Washer quietly. I think I can
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: suggest a way. My hole is right on the edge
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: of Black Ravine. I built it there so I could
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: watch the sunrise every morning. It's a beautiful place, even
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: if I do say so. White Hill and young Black
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: Buck turned to him and waited impatiently for him to proceed.
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: Washer was aggravatingly slow. they were not a bit interested
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: in the beautiful view he had from his hole. Black
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: Ravine drops down fifty feet, and if I should ever
• 58:55
  Speaker 1: forget myself and fall over the edge, it would be
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: the loss of me, Washer continued, deliberately picking his teeth
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: with a twig. Yes, I told Mrs. Washer several times
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: it was a beautiful but dangerous spot to bring up
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: our children. They might tumble into the ravine. Never mind
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: the ravine, Washer, interrupted Whitetail. You said you had a
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: way for us to escape. Please tell us what it is.
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: I was coming to that. You're very impatient, Whitetail. and
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: the ravine has a good deal to do with my plan.
• 59:32
  Speaker 1: It's twenty feet across from side to side. Can you
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: jump twenty feet? Why, I don't know, but maybe if...
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: All right, then, Washer interrupted. I'll show you the way
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: to Black Ravine in front of my house. If Puma
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: or Timber pursue you, all you got to do is
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: leap across the ravine. Timber couldn't follow you, and I
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: don't think Puma can jump that far. If he couldn't,
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: you'd have a big head start. Puma and Timber would
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: have to go a mile down the ravine before they
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: could cross. It's wider in front of my house than
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: at the ends. Washer's plan dawned upon their minds in
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: an instant, and both bucks sprang up as if to
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: start for Black Ravine at once. We'll do it, exclaimed Whitetail.
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: I'll make the jump if I fall in the ravine.
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 1: It's better that way than to be pulled down by
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 1: Puma or Timber. It's much better not to fall at all,
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: was Washer's quiet remark. But now, don't get excited, or
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: you'll jump from the frying pan into the fire. How
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: do you know if one of Timber's family isn't watching
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: the ravine? He may be. The suggestion dashed their hopes
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: and sent the cold chills down their backs. No one
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: could tell where the wolves and pumas were scattered. They
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: were closing in upon them on all sides. They might
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: surprise the cornered bucks before ever they could reach Black Ravine.
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: The only way I can suggest, added Washer, is for
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: Downy to fly ahead and report to us where they're hiding.
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: You could do that, Downy, couldn't you? Why, certainly. I'd
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: be glad to. Then I wouldn't waste any time. Downey
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: immediately flew away in the direction of Black Ravine, while
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: Whitetail and Young Black Buck waited impatiently for his return.
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: It seemed a long, long time to them, and every
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: few moments they could hear the claw of timber and
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: this pack. They were drawing nearer and nearer, until finally
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: it seemed as if one was in the bushes not
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 1: a dozen rods away. Downey came back finally and said,'
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 1: It' s all right, but you must hurry,' They're closing in
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 1: so that if you don't reach Black Ravine soon, they'll
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: head you off. This way, follow me. He flew off
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: to the right, but swift as he was, White Tail
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: and Young Buck were hardly a yard behind him. They
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: fairly flew across the ground, leaping low bushes and trees
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: in their flight. Washer, being much slower, decided not to follow.
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 1: He knew another hole where he could hide until the
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 1: danger was over. Here they come! screamed Downey suddenly. Now
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: run for your lives! There's Black Ravine ahead! At the
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 1: same instant, Timber and his pack broke cover and started
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: for the fleeing bucks in the open. Close on their
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: right was Puma and his mate. They set up a
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: yelping and howling that made the blood of the deer curdle.
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 1: It had to be a short race, for other wolves
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: ahead threatened to cut them off. But there was Black Ravine.
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: Neither White Hill nor Young Black Buck knew how wide
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 1: it was, or whether they could cross it. But when
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: they reached the edge, they shot out in one mighty leap,
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: and landed on the opposite side. Could Puma follow? In
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 1: the next story, you will find out what he did.
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: End of story seven Story 8 of Whitetail the Deer's
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: Adventures by George Ethelbrook Walsh. This LibriVox recording is in
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: the public domain. Mrs. Puma and Timber Fight The leap
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: across Black Ravine carried Whitetail and Young Black Buck away
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 1: from the yapping jaws of Timber Wolf and his pack.
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 1: Not one of them dared to follow. They could no
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: more do it than fly. They stopped at the edge
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: and howled woefully as they saw their prey escape. But
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: not Puma the mountain lion. He was a wonderful jumper himself,
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: and the sight of the escaping bucks made him wild
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: with rage. Besides, he was terribly hungry, and he was
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: disappointed in not catching at least one of the bucks.
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: When he came to the edge of the ravine, he
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: hesitated a minute, snarling, spitting, and whisking his long tail.
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: He was so angry that he knocked one of the
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: wolves over when he got in his way. For a
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: moment there was a savage outcry, and Timber threatened to
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: pounce upon Puma's back, but the fear of his powerful
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 1: claws dissuaded him. Get away from the edge, you snarling,
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: snivelling sons of cowards, Puma growled. When did a wolf
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: ever bring down a buck in fair play? You howl
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: and snap and make a great fuss, but you're cowards
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: at heart. Let me show you what a mountain lion
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: can do. Back, back from the edge, I say. The
• 1:04:53
  Speaker 1: wolves obeyed, but not without much snapping of teeth and
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: angry growls. Puma walked back a few paces, and then
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: turned to face the cliff. Then, with a sudden run
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: and spring, he took the long lead. Ordinarily, Puma would
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: have hesitated a long time before attempting to jump across
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 1: Black Ravine, but he was wild with anger and disappointment. Besides,
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 1: he knew Timber and his pack were watching him, as
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 1: well as his own mate. He was puffed up with
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: pride to show what he could do. But, alas, pride
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: had its downfall. Puma had miscalculated the distance. He realized
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: this before he was half across. and to make up
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 1: for it he began squirming and jerking in mid-air as
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 1: if that would help him. It did, in a way,
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: for cat-like he had the wonderful facility of actually jumping
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: and leaping forward with his feet off the ground. But
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: it was of no avail. He still lacked sufficient force
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 1: to carry him to the other side. He stretched one
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: forepaw far out, hoping to grasp the edge, and it
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: did touch the rock but had only scratched and scraped it.
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: When he found himself falling downward, he thrust out the
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: other foreleg and clawed at the steep side of the cliff,
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: but there was nothing for him to hold to. The
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: rocks were so hard that his claws could get no purchase.
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: Down he went another yard. The edge of the cliff
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: was over his head, and fifty feet below was the
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: hard bottom of the ravine. A fall there would surely
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: dash out his brains and break every bone in his body.
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 1: Twenty feet down, doubling, whirling and screaming, Guma saw a
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: small stunted tree growing from a cleft in the side.
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 1: He made one mighty lunge for this and caught it.
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: He landed with a thud against it and clung to
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: its branches for dear life. He was so shaken by
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 1: the fall that for a moment he could do nothing
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: but blink and gasp. The tree had scratched him in
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: a dozen places, and the hard rocks bruised and hurt
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: his body. One paw was bleeding, and the other was
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: so sore that he held it up in the air.
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: Over his head, some twenty feet, was the top of
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 1: the cliff, with its sides so steep that no puma
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 1: could hope to crawl up them. Below was the bottom,
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 1: which seemed equally difficult to reach. Opposite, looking down at him,
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: were Timber and his family. What a lucky fall for you, Puma,
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 1: cheered Timber. And what a poor jump. White Hill and
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: Young Buck cleared it easily, and you couldn't cross it. Now, braggart,
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: what are you going to do to get out? You
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: can hang there and rot before I'll help you. You
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: call my tribe cowards. Then I call you and yours
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: dirty braggarts. You couldn't... A rumbling growl at Timber's left
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: caused him to turn suddenly. Puma's mate was facing him,
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: with her eyes spitting fire and her great right claw
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: raised to strike. Son of a coward, she thundered. How
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: dare you speak that way to one of my family?
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 1: Puma may be caught down there, but you have me
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 1: to reckon with. Timber immediately saw his mistake. He had
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 1: forgotten Mrs. Puma, who was almost as ferocious as Puma.
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: She was smaller, but fully as quick and lithe. Timber's
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: manners immediately changed, and he became as meek and fawning
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 1: as he was before, threatening and defiant. I didn't refer
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 1: to you, Mrs. Puma, he whined. Of course, I know
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: you are much stronger and quicker than Puma, and.
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: You lie, you snivelling cur, interrupted Mrs.
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 3: Puma.
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 1: For the tail of a deer, I'd knock you in
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: the ravine for my mate to eat for his supper.
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: Timber slinked back from the edge. He knew that one
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: blow from that upraised paw would send him hurtling through space.
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: but once back from the edge his manner changed again. Mrs.
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: Puma stood near the edge now, and surrounding her was
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: the half-circle of wolves. All of Timber's pack had arrived,
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: and they were as thirsty as he for blood. They
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: were ten to one. It flashed through Timber's mind that
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: this was a good time to settle an old score
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: with Puma. He had never taken kindly to Puma's lordly
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: ways in dividing the hunting ground between them. Puma had
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: always claimed more than his share of the prey. Sometimes
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: he had eaten three quarters of a carcass and only
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 1: turned over a small portion to Timber's family. And they
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: were a hungry family, half-starved at times when the hunting
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 1: was poor. All his old grievances came back to him.
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: and he felt that here was a chance to settle
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: the dispute for good. Puma was caught in the ravine,
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: where he might starve and die. Why not then push Mrs.
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: Puma after him? Oh, Mrs. Puma, he said, you flatter me.
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: My family aren't such cowards as you think. Just to
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: show you, turn around and see them. They're all here,
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: the whole pack. Mrs. Puma whirled about. and saw the
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: semicircle of snarling, snapping wolves. Then, for the first time
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: in her life, she felt afraid. She might kill two
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: or three of Timber's family before they conquered her, but
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 1: eventually they would drive her over the cliff. But it
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 1: was no time to show fear. That would be the
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: signal for the wolves to close in on her. I
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: see them, the whole pack, she snarled. And every one
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: of them is a coward. Not one dare touch me
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: unless the others push him within reach of my claws. See,
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: the whole pack jumps and screams when I strike. With
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 1: a vicious drive of her paw, she made those nearest
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: leap back in fear. She followed this up with another drive.
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 1: Timber saw that unless he acted at once, his family
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: would become panic-stricken. Raising himself on his hind feet, ready
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: for a spring, he opened his mouth. and uttered the
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 1: hunting cry of the pack. Then, at a given signal,
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 1: they attacked all at once. They darted forward with yelps
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: of defiance, timber leading. But what a surprise awaited them! Mrs.
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: Puma had guessed their actions, and with a mighty spring
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: in the air, she leaped clear over the backs of
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: the encircling crowd. It was a wonderful spring, and nothing
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: but fear could have made her do it. it landed
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: her safely back of the wolves. Then, before they could
• 1:12:11
  Speaker 1: turn and charge again, she took another spring and was
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: safe in the branches of a tree. Some other day,
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: thou dog of a coward, Mrs. Puma said, I'll sleep
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: here until you get tired of waiting. Having got Mrs.
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 1: Puma out of trouble, we will follow Whitetail in the
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: next story. End of story eight. Story nine of White
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: Tail the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh. This LibriVox
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Recording by phone. Young
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: black buck has an accident. It is hard work to
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: starve out Puma the mountain lion when trees, and perhaps
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 1: harder yet to imprison him on the side of a
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: steep cliff. Timber Wolf knew this, and after the escape
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: of Mrs. Puma up the tree, he grew uneasy and
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: decided that it was safer for him to lead the
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: pack back to their own hunting ground. When they had gone, Mrs.
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: Puma leaped down to the ground and ran to the
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: edge of the ravine to see what had become of
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: her mate. She was not greatly surprised when she saw
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 1: that he had slowly made his way to the bottom
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: of the chasm, and was looking up to see where
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: she was. With a little cry of joy, she trotted
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: down to the end of the ravine to rejoin him. Meanwhile,
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: of course, Whitetail and Young Black Buck were running like
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: the wind, anxious to get as far away from their
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: pursuers as they could. They didn't know what had happened
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: at Black Ravine, and they couldn't stop to investigate. The
• 1:13:58
  Speaker 1: fear that the wolves and mountain lions might still be
• 1:14:01
  Speaker 1: on their trail kept them going until they were nearly exhausted.
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: One mile, two miles, three miles they ran without stopping
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: or looking around, fear lending speed to their legs. Then
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: something happened which brought them to a sudden halt. Young
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: Black Buck stumbled and plunged headfirst to the ground. When
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: he tried to get up again, he groaned with pain,
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: and held a foreleg in the air as if it
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: hurt him. Oh, I've broken my leg, he cried. I
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: can't run another step. They'll catch me now, I know.
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 1: I can't escape them. Whitetail, whose momentum had carried him
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 1: some distance ahead, stopped and turned around. Let me see it,
• 1:14:51
  Speaker 1: he said, sniffing at the leg. After quickly examining it,
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 1: he added, No, it isn't broken. only sprained. Can't you
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: stand on it? No, not for an instant. Oh, what
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: will become of me?
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 2: Hark!
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 1: Isn't that Puma growling? No, replied White Tail, listening with
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: his head flung back and his nose in the air.
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: Then it's timber calling, I'm sure it is. White Tail
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: listened again. He was trembling himself, for the fright and
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 1: exhausting run had made him very nervous. It's something, but
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: I don't think it's Timber Wolf. He hasn't had time
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: to run around the end of Black Ravine. But he'll
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: be here soon, whined Young Black Buck. Then we must
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 1: be going. We can't stay here. You must run on
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 1: three legs. You can do it. Not so fast as
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: Timber Wolf, where Puma can run on four legs. Oh,
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: you won't leave me, White Tail, will you? I shall
• 1:15:55
  Speaker 1: die of fear if you do. I've always been your friend.
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: I won't leave you yet, replied Whitetail. Lie down in
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: the bushes, and I will run back and see if
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 1: I can find Timber or Puma. If they're coming... Don't
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: leave me, interrupted Young Black Buck. Just then, when Whitetail
• 1:16:16
  Speaker 1: was uncertain what to do, and so nervous that he
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: couldn't stand still, Downy the Woodpecker appeared. He fluttered in
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 1: a tree, just as if he had been there, waiting
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 1: for them all the time. Oh, Downey, cried Whitetail. Where
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 1: are they? Are they on our trail yet? Did they
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 1: get across Black Ravine? Downey finished hauling a grub out
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 1: of its hole in the tree bark before he answered. No,
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: he then said. They didn't get across Black Ravine, but
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 1: Puma got in it, and he's there now, screaming with rage.
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 1: He jumped and fell in it, asked Young Black Buck. Yes,
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 1: nodded Downey. He tried to show Timber's family what he
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 1: could do, and he made a pretty sight of himself.
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: He missed the opposite side by a few inches, and
• 1:17:08
  Speaker 1: if it hadn't been for a small tree growing on
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: the rocks, he would have fallen to the bottom and
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 1: been killed. I wish he had, said Young Black Buck. Well,
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: he wasn't, added Downey. So it's no good wishing for
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 1: what didn't happen. He'll roll down and get on his
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 1: feet again. It's pretty hard to kill Puma. What did
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: Timber and his pack do? asked Whitetail. They did just
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: what you might expect of them. They jeered and laughed
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: at Puma, and then Mrs. Puma interfered. I thought that
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: Timber and Puma were friends, said Whitetail. Such selfish friendship
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: as they had for each other doesn't amount to much.
• 1:17:53
  Speaker 1: It only takes a little for them to fall out
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 1: and begin fighting each other, and that's just what happened.
• 1:18:00
  Speaker 1: Timber thought it was a good time to attack Mrs. Puma,
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 1: and his whole pack jumped at her. And what happened then?
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 1: breathlessly asked Whitetail. Mrs. Puma jumped too, and as she
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 1: could jump faster and farther than Timber, she got away
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: and ran up a tree. There I left her, with
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 1: the wolves howling underneath. I think then they'll give up
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 1: the chase, remarked Whitetail. It's very fortunate for us, for
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: young Black Buck has sprained his leg, and will have
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: to limp the rest of the way. I can't limp
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 1: far on three legs, whined young Black Buck. And we
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 1: are far away from the herd, aren't we, Downy? Yes,
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: so many miles I can't count them. You've been running
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: away from where you started. and it will take you
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: a long, long time to get home. Whitetail and Young
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: Black Buck were greatly distressed by this information, for night
• 1:18:59
  Speaker 1: was coming on, and to be caught after dark away
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 1: from the herd in the heart of a strange woods
• 1:19:06
  Speaker 1: was a most unpleasant outlook. Whitetail might have made it
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: by hard running, but young Black Buck could never do it,
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 1: and Whitetail wasn't going to leave him alone in the woods.
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: He was too loyal for that. There doesn't seem to
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: be any choice in the matter, Whitetail said. We've got
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: to stay here and make the best of it. But
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 1: you could get home alone, Whitetail, if you started right away,
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: suggested Downey. It will be moonlight early in the evening.
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: and you can find your way once you reach the
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: shallow stream. Yes, I know the way, but I couldn't
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: leave young Black Buck behind. No, I couldn't think of it.
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: We'll find a resting place among the bushes, and stay
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: here until morning. Then maybe his leg will be better.
• 1:19:56
  Speaker 1: Downey nodded his head, and began pecking away at the
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 1: bark of the tree for another grub. Young Black Buck
• 1:20:03
  Speaker 1: looked thankfully at the speaker, but said nothing. I'm afraid
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: I'll have to leave you soon, Downey remarked after a while.
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: I'm a long distance from my home, and I don't
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 1: see that I can help you any by staying. No,
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 1: smiled Whitetail, except to give us warning of danger when
• 1:20:22
  Speaker 1: it comes. There's no danger now, unless... He stopped and
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 1: listened attentively. Unless what, Downey? I don't know that I
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 1: should say it, for I don't want to frighten you.
• 1:20:37
  Speaker 1: but there are man-hunters in this wood. They've pitched a
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: camp a few miles back of here, but if they
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: haven't dogs with them, they won't find you. Just keep
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: quiet here in the bushes until morning. We certainly will,
• 1:20:51
  Speaker 1: replied Whitetail. I dread the man-hunters as much as Puma
• 1:20:56
  Speaker 1: and Timber, especially if they have dogs. And all through
• 1:21:00
  Speaker 1: the night he thought and dreamt of the man-hunters, but
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 1: nothing happened until morning. and then the distant baying of
• 1:21:08
  Speaker 1: a dog startled him. End of Story 9 Story 10
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: of White Tail the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh
• 1:21:24
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in a public domain. Recording by phone.
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: White Tail's Magnanimous Act Whitetail could not mistake the sound
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 1: of the dogs in the distance. Neither could Young Black Buck,
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: who was instantly on his feet. The dread sound had
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 1: more to do in curing the sprained foot than the
• 1:21:46
  Speaker 1: night's rest, and he followed Whitetail, trotting around and sniffing
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 1: the air in every direction. Are they coming this way?
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck asked. It's hard to tell, replied Whitetail.
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: I haven't picked up their scent yet, but I don't
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: need to. I hear them. We must be going before
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 1: they find us. Is your lame leg strong enough? Yes,
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 1: it's all right again. A little lame, but not much.
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 1: Which way shall we go? Unconsciously, young Black Buck had
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: been depending upon Whitetail ever since danger first threatened them,
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: and this was a sure sign that he recognised qualities
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 1: of leadership in his rival. that he did not possess,
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: and Whitetail had accepted it without giving it much thought.
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 1: I think, he said finally, they're off to the right
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: where Downey said the white hunters had their camp. Then
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: we should go to the left. But that will take
• 1:22:48
  Speaker 1: us to the hunting grounds of Puma and Timber Wolf,
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: protested Young Black Buck. Yes, I know, but we can
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: swing around north of them before we reach their woods.
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: At any rate, we can't run right into danger. Whitetail
• 1:23:04
  Speaker 1: took up the lead, and Young Blackbug followed. They stole
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: away in the woods almost as silently as shadows. A
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: well-worn trail led into the darkest and thickest part of
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 1: the forest, and as this kept going straight away from
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: the Manhunter's camp, they stuck close to it. Maybe this
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 1: is Puma's trail. Young Black Buck remarked after they had
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: gone a considerable distance. No deer have been this way. No,
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: of course not. This isn't our woods, but Puma hasn't
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 1: been here. I could smell him. Then Timber Wolf and
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 1: his pack made it. No, it hasn't timber smell either.
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: Whitetail had his nose close to the ground, and while
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: he couldn't quite make out whose trill it was, he
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 1: felt confident that it wasn't that of either puma or timber. Still,
• 1:23:59
  Speaker 1: it is always dangerous to follow an unknown trail. It's
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: against the law of the herd for the leader to
• 1:24:05
  Speaker 1: do so, and had Whitehill known it, he would have
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 1: taken to the thick woods. But he thought he was
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: doing right, for it was much easier to travel faster
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: in this way. He was jogging along cautiously when the
• 1:24:19
  Speaker 1: trail became suddenly very strong and fresh. He stopped and
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: flung up his hand. That animal odour that had caught
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 1: his nose startled him. But the sight which met his
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: eyes startled him more than the strange odour. There, standing
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: directly in the broad trail, grinning at them, was Buster
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 1: the Bear. What a shock it gave him! Buster seemed
• 1:24:43
  Speaker 1: to tower up so big that he looked like a
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 1: giant of a bear. With a snort of fear, Whitetail
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: turned and sprang out of the trail, clearing a clump
• 1:24:54
  Speaker 1: of bushes in a beautiful jump and calling to young
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: Black Buck to follow. The latter didn't need this advice,
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: for he was already out of the trail, running for
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: dear life. Now, back in the broad trail, Buster, who
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 1: had been nearly as much surprised as Day, suddenly roared
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: with glee, his fat sides shaking and wobbling. Ho-ho! He laughed.
• 1:25:21
  Speaker 1: What a scare I gave them, and they didn't open
• 1:25:24
  Speaker 1: my mouth. I wonder what they'd done if I'd roared
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 1: like this. He let out a roar that shook the
• 1:25:31
  Speaker 1: leaves off the bushes and made Whitetail and Young Black
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 1: Buck run harder than ever. To them, it seemed as
• 1:25:38
  Speaker 1: if that roar was trying to catch them, and they
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 1: couldn't dodge its echo. But, of course, Buster wasn't pursuing them.
• 1:25:47
  Speaker 1: In the first place, He knew he couldn't overtake them,
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 1: and in the second he wasn't particularly hungry and rarely
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 1: killed deer or bucks. He was too kind-hearted for that.
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 1: But he did enjoy a joke, and he thought it
• 1:26:02
  Speaker 1: was a huge one to scare them half out of
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 1: their wits. Whitetail and Young Black Buck ran without knowing
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: which way they were going. In fact, they might have
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: run straight into the camp of the Manhunter's, if they
• 1:26:15
  Speaker 1: hadn't been stopped by the sudden baying of the dogs.
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: This time the dogs were so close that they couldn't
• 1:26:22
  Speaker 1: expect to throw them off their scent. In fact, one
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: of them saw Whitetail's head and immediately gave the signal.
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 1: He rushed for them with wild yelps of delight, and
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: two others followed him. The two bucks swung around in
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 1: another direction and ran pell-mell through the woods. The fear
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 1: of the dogs made them forget Buster. Indeed, Whitetail realized
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: his mistake now. He knew that Buster could not overtake
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: him in a race, but the dogs of the Manhunters might.
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 1: They would follow them night and day until exhaustion killed
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 1: one or the other. We're in for it now, Whitetail
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 1: said to his companion, breathing hard. The dogs are fresh,
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: and we're not. We must find a river to throw
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: them off our scent. But finding a river in a
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 1: strange woods was not an easy thing to do. So
• 1:27:19
  Speaker 1: far as they knew, there was no river there. They
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 1: were completely turned around and hardly knew which direction to
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 1: take to reach home. Young Black Buck soon began to
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: show signs of weariness, and his lame leg hurt him again.
• 1:27:35
  Speaker 1: In vain, Whitetail urged him on, but he couldn't run
• 1:27:39
  Speaker 1: any faster. The dogs would certainly soon overtake him. Then
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 1: Whitetail did a magnanimous thing. He couldn't bear to leave
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 1: his companion behind, to be pulled down by the dogs,
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 1: while he escaped. No, no, that would never do for
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 1: one who someday expected to be leader of the herd.
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck, he said, running along by the side
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: of the panting creature, you run straight on as hard
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 1: as you can. I'm going to stop here until the
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 1: dogs see me. Then I'll lead them off to the left.
• 1:28:15
  Speaker 1: So long as they can see me, they'll follow me
• 1:28:17
  Speaker 1: and forget this scent. When I get them far enough away,
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 1: I'll run faster and get away from them. You understand?
• 1:28:26
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck nodded his head. He was too tired
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 1: to reply in words. Then go on. I'll wait here
• 1:28:34
  Speaker 1: until the dogs come up. It was a risky thing
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: to do. but Whitehill Foundation. that alone he could outrun
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 1: the dogs. At any rate, he was going to do
• 1:28:44
  Speaker 1: that much for his companion. He didn't have long to wait.
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: The baying hounds soon appeared, and catching sight of Whitetail,
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 1: they started for him with yelps of delight. Whitetail sprang
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 1: away in the bushes and but not so fast that
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 1: the dogs lost sight of him. He noticed that all
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 1: three were chasing him. Then, when some distance away from
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 1: the fork in the trail, he increased his speed. In
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 1: a very short time he was out of sight again,
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 1: but the hounds were on his scent. They had lost
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: young black bucks, and there was no chance of their
• 1:29:21
  Speaker 1: picking it up again. Away on the wind Whitetail flew.
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 1: His tremendous strides carried him far in the lead. Mile
• 1:29:30
  Speaker 1: after mile he covered, his proud head flung back, his
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: nostrils distended. It was a killing pace, but the dogs
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 1: held on behind. How long could he stand it? Another mile,
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 1: and the pace began to tell on him. He was
• 1:29:47
  Speaker 1: growing weary and exhausted, but the dogs were still coming.
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 1: When he began to fear he could not escape, it
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: began to rain, falling gently at first. and then more heavily.
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 1: In the next story, you will read of how the
• 1:30:04
  Speaker 1: rain helped him. End of story ten. Story eleven of
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 1: Whitetail the Deer's Adventures by George Esselbert Walsh This LibriVox
• 1:30:21
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Recording by phone. Whitetail's
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 1: Adventure in the Camp The rain made Whitetail's difficulties worse,
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 1: for the logs and stones were so slippery that he
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 1: stumbled time and again, and to avoid a fall he
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: had to slacken his pace. The dogs, on the other hand,
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: kept up their pace, as the slippery things did not
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 1: seem to bother them, and they began to gain on
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 1: the fleeing buck very rapidly. Their deep baying drew so
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 1: near that Whitetail became startled. but all this time the
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 1: rain was planning to help the buck, although he did
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: not know it at the time. He was feeling very uncomfortable,
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: as well as frightened. The steady downpour soaked him to
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: the skin, and the driving wind splashed the raindrops in
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: his eyes, half blinding him. When the dogs drew so
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 1: near that Whitetail felt they would soon see him, he
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: turned abruptly around, and ran at right angles to his
• 1:31:30
  Speaker 1: former course. He had not tried dodging before, but had
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 1: kept on a straight course. To his surprise, he heard
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 1: the barking of the dogs grow suddenly fainter, and then
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: very confused. The fact was, the heavy downpour of rain
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 1: had nearly blotted out his trail, and the dogs could
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 1: not readily pick it up again. So long as he
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 1: kept on in straight course, the dogs had followed him.
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 1: But now, by dodging, Whitetail found he could easily elude them,
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: so faint was the scent he left behind. The rain
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: washed that away, and completely baffled the dogs. It was
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 1: a great blessing, for Whitetail was badly winded. He was
• 1:32:17
  Speaker 1: so tired, that as soon as he left the dogs
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: far in the rear, he sought shelter from the rain.
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 1: He was almost exhausted with his efforts. and a bed
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 1: of leaves or grass would be the greatest blessing in
• 1:32:30
  Speaker 1: the world. Directly ahead of him, he saw an old
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 1: deserted open camp standing in a partial clearing. It was
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 1: built of pine logs, with the bark left on, and
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 1: a roof and three sides. The front was left open,
• 1:32:48
  Speaker 1: with an old campfire place of stones and rocks a
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 1: few feet away. At first, Whitetail stopped and looked at
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 1: the camp suspiciously. If the man-hunters lived in it, he
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: should avoid it as he would puma or timber, but
• 1:33:04
  Speaker 1: if it were deserted, there would be no harm in
• 1:33:07
  Speaker 1: seeking shelter under its roof. He watched, listened and sniffed
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: for a long time before he dared approach it. Then,
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 1: by degrees, he walked closer until he had a chance
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 1: to look inside. There was no one there, and it
• 1:33:25
  Speaker 1: had not been inhabited for a long, long time. Whitetail
• 1:33:29
  Speaker 1: could tell this by the absence of any odour. I
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: think it's safe, he muttered after another close examination. I'll
• 1:33:39
  Speaker 1: spend a night here. I'm dreadfully tired, and so wet
• 1:33:44
  Speaker 1: I'm cold and chivalry. He walked under the sheltering roof.
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 1: and found a bed of sweet-smelling spruce boughs in one corner.
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: They were perfectly dry, and Whitetail gave a grunt of satisfaction.
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: It was a dry shelter, with a soft, dry bed
• 1:34:03
  Speaker 1: already prepared for him. He dropped down on it with
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: a sigh of intense relief. It rained hard all night.
• 1:34:12
  Speaker 1: Whitetail could hear the floods of water pouring on the
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: roof of his shelter. but under it the place was
• 1:34:19
  Speaker 1: dry and warm. Darkness came early in the woods, and
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 1: it was soon pitchy black. He felt perfectly safe if
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 1: none of the night prowlers appeared. The rain, however, was
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 1: a protection to him, for even puma and timber rarely
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: ventured forth in such a storm. They preferred to do
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 1: their hunting on clear, dry nights, when the scent of
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: their prey was clear and distinct. I don't think anybody
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 1: will disturb me until morning, Whitetail said, and I can
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 1: rest here in peace. But of course, you can never
• 1:34:59
  Speaker 1: tell what may happen in the Wildwoods. Suppose Puma or
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 1: Timber Wolf should be caught away from home in the rain.
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 1: If they were, and saw the open camp, they would
• 1:35:10
  Speaker 1: very naturally seek it for shelter, just as Whitetail had done.
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 1: It was quite early in the evenings, when Whitetail was
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 1: awakened from slumber by a thump, thump outside. It came
• 1:35:24
  Speaker 1: nearer and nearer. Whitetail was so frightened that he could
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: scarcely breathe. He trembled in every limb. Some animal was
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: coming around the side of the open camp. Before Whitetail
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: could leap to his feet to run, a hand was
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: thrust around the corner, and a pair of wonderful eyes
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: looked at him. At the same instant, the owner of
• 1:35:49
  Speaker 1: them caught sight of Whitetails. Hello, Bumper, Whitetail exclaimed when
• 1:35:56
  Speaker 1: he recognised Bumper the White Rabbit. Don't be afraid, I'm
• 1:36:01
  Speaker 1: Whitetail the Deer. Well, I'm mighty glad of that, replied Bumper, approaching.
• 1:36:08
  Speaker 1: You gave me an awful start at first. I thought
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 1: you were Mr Fox or Sneaky the Wolf or Puma.
• 1:36:16
  Speaker 1: And I thought you were Timber Wolf or the Manhunters
• 1:36:19
  Speaker 1: or their dogs. Seeing that we were both wrong then,
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 1: said Bumper, we might share this camp between us. You
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: have no objection, I hope? No, I'm glad to have company.
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: I'm dreadfully excited and alarmed. Then he told the White
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 1: Rabbit about his adventures, ending up with the pursuit by
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 1: the dogs and his escape to the deserted camp. You
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 1: certainly did have a hard time of it, said Bumper
• 1:36:51
  Speaker 1: when he had finished. And you're a long way from home.
• 1:36:54
  Speaker 1: I do hope you can get back without accident. What's that?
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 1: Bumper stopped and Whitetail raised his head in alarm. There
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: was a scream outside and then a wild commotion in
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 1: the bushes. The next moment something came rushing in the
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 1: camp and flopped down right at Whitetail's feet. It was
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 1: Rusty the Blackbird. Help! Help! Oh, help me! Rusty cried.
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: Great Horn the Owl is after me. Here he comes now.
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: And out of the darkness swept a shadowy figure that
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: hardly made any noise. But the moment it saw Whitetail,
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 1: it stopped and circled around his head. Whitetail raised his
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: head and swung his big antlers threateningly at Great Horn.
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 1: Look out, he said, or I'll hit you. Don't come
• 1:37:51
  Speaker 1: any nearer, Great Horn. Is that you, White Tail? asked
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: Great Horn. I didn't know you were here. Well, I
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: won't disturb you. I'm after Rusty there at your feet.
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: Let me have him, and I will leave at once.
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 1: You will leave at once without Rusty, replied White Tail.
• 1:38:13
  Speaker 1: He's a friend of mine, and I'm going to protect him.
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: hoot hoot shouted the owl in laughter i'll take him
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 1: whether you want me to or not he made a
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 1: swift dive for poor rusty but white tails antlers swung
• 1:38:31
  Speaker 1: around and knocked him over. One prong hurt Great Horn
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 1: so that he flew back to a safe place. If
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: you come nearer I'll hurt you worse the next time
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 1: warned Whitetail. Great Horn sat there and considered for some
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 1: time his great eyes blinking and winking. What are you
• 1:38:54
  Speaker 1: doing here, whitetail? he asked finally. Don't you know you're
• 1:38:59
  Speaker 1: on Puma's hunting grounds? Well, if you don't know it,
• 1:39:03
  Speaker 1: you ought to. I think Puma might be interested in
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 1: knowing it. Now give me Rusty at once, or I'll
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 1: fly away and tell Puma. This threat made Rusty tremble.
• 1:39:16
  Speaker 1: and bumper-shiver in his corner where he was hiding under
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: the bows. But Whitetail did neither. Go and tell him,
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 1: Great Horn, he replied. I won't give up Rusty. I'll
• 1:39:29
  Speaker 1: protect my friends. And Great Horn flew away. What he
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 1: did will appear in the next story. End of story
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: eleven STORY TWELVE OF WHITE TALE THE DEER'S ADVENTURES by
• 1:39:50
  Speaker 1: George Esselbert Walsh This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 1:39:55
  Speaker 1: Recording by Verne. WHITE TALE ESCAPES The moment Great Horn
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 1: the Owl flew out of the open camp to tell
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 1: Puma of White Tail's hiding place, Bumper hopped from his
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: place in the corner, and Rusty jumped to a perch
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 1: on one of the buck's antlers. Oh, dear! began Rusty.
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 1: I've brought trouble upon you, Whitetail. Great Horn will guide
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 1: Puma here. I wish now I'd never flown in here. No,
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 1: you don't wish that, Rusty, replied Whitetail. If you hadn't
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: come here, Great Horn would have killed you. And now
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 1: Puma will kill you. Not if I can help it,
• 1:40:39
  Speaker 1: smiled Whitetail. He's been on my trail before, and I
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: shook him off. Then he told Rusty of his adventures.
• 1:40:48
  Speaker 1: You're wonderful, White Tail, the blackbird said when he had finished.
• 1:40:53
  Speaker 1: You saved young Black Buck's life and nearly lost your own.
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: Now you've saved my life and got yourself in more danger.
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 1: I wish I could do something to help you in return.
• 1:41:06
  Speaker 1: Probably you can, Rusty. Who knows? I'm terribly mixed up
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 1: in these strange woods. I hardly know which way to
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 1: go to find home Perhaps you can direct me? Yes,
• 1:41:18
  Speaker 1: I can do that easily. Thanks. That's one good turn
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 1: you can do me. Now for another. Is there any
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: river or stream near here that I can reach? If so,
• 1:41:30
  Speaker 1: I can go to it before Puma comes, and then
• 1:41:33
  Speaker 1: wade down it to throw him off my scent. Why, yes,
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 1: there's a shallow brook only a mile from here. I
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 1: can take you to that. Which way shall I go?
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 1: Up or down the brook? Go down it a couple
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 1: of miles until it runs in the stream where Father
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 1: Buck led the herd feed on the rushes this morning,
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: the place you started from when you ran the race
• 1:41:55
  Speaker 1: with Young Black Buck. In that case, replied Whitetail, I
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 1: think I'll be going right away. I'm anxious to be off.
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 1: But it's a dreadful night outside. Here it rained. Yes,
• 1:42:11
  Speaker 1: but it would be more dreadful to stay here until
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 1: Great Horn and Puma appeared. Puma would kill me, and
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 1: Great Horn would pounce upon you. Yes, of course, we
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: must go, right away, rain or no rain. Bumper, who
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 1: had been listening to the conversation, hopped to the entrance,
• 1:42:31
  Speaker 1: and then came back. If I'm any judge, he said,
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: I don't think you'll have such a wet trip. That
• 1:42:39
  Speaker 1: shower was the last. The clouds are breaking away, and
• 1:42:42
  Speaker 1: the moon will soon be out. Whitetail was instantly on
• 1:42:47
  Speaker 1: his feet and beat Rusty to the front where the
• 1:42:50
  Speaker 1: two of them gazed up at the rain clouds now
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 1: growing thin and ragged in places. They saw a star
• 1:42:57
  Speaker 1: twinkle in the east and then another and another. The
• 1:43:01
  Speaker 1: storm was indeed over and the night trip through the
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: woods would not be so disagreeable. I must be off
• 1:43:09
  Speaker 1: at once, Rusty, Whitetail said. Puma may be back any minute.
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 1: You can't start any too soon to suit me, Whitetail,
• 1:43:19
  Speaker 1: for if Puma comes, Great Horn will be with him.
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 1: Come on, I'm ready. It seems to me, remarked Bumper,
• 1:43:28
  Speaker 1: you don't consider me at all. I'm not even invited
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 1: to go with you. We thought you'd prefer to stay
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 1: in this dry camp, replied Whitetail. It's very comfortable here,
• 1:43:40
  Speaker 1: and you can hide under the spruce boughs. The White
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: Rabbit sniffed. How long do you suppose it would take
• 1:43:48
  Speaker 1: Puma to find me? he asked. When he found you'd gone,
• 1:43:52
  Speaker 1: he'd eat me up instead. A rabbit makes only a
• 1:43:56
  Speaker 1: mouse hole for Puma, but it's better than nothing. No,
• 1:44:00
  Speaker 1: I'm going with you. So the three started forth, leaving
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 1: the shelter of the camp for the wet trail of
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 1: the woods. And how wet everything was! The trail was
• 1:44:12
  Speaker 1: soaked with water. and every leaf and bough was dripping
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 1: with moisture. Every bush they touched threw a shower of
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 1: raindrops all over them. Rusty led the way, hopping and
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 1: flying from bush to bush, with Bumper following next, and
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: Whitetail bringing up the rear. Bumper was as familiar with
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 1: the woods as Rusty, and Whitetail really followed him, although
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 1: at times the white rabbit took shortcuts through narrow paths
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 1: which the buck could not tread. It was very quiet
• 1:44:45
  Speaker 1: and solemn in the woods. After the rain, the stillness
• 1:44:49
  Speaker 1: seemed intensified by the occasional splatter of water, as some
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 1: overladen tree branch dipped its load and let it fall
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 1: through the ground. No birds or animals were abroad, and
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 1: they made half the distance without accident or alarm. Then
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 1: back of them came a fearful roar that startled the
• 1:45:10
  Speaker 1: echoes of the wild woods. It was Puma the mountain lion.
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: He's found we've escaped, cried Rusty. Oh, do hurry, he'll
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 1: pick up your trail, and Great Horn will find me. Hurry, hurry!
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 1: Wait a minute, exclaimed Whitetail. Won't you find a hiding place, Rusty? Yes,
• 1:45:33
  Speaker 1: many of them, but I must show you the way
• 1:45:36
  Speaker 1: to the Shadow Brook. No, you tell me how to
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 1: find it, interrupted Whitetail. I can run much faster alone.
• 1:45:45
  Speaker 1: It's straight ahead, Whitetail. Then find a hiding place in
• 1:45:50
  Speaker 1: the bushes. Goodbye and thank you. Are you going to
• 1:45:55
  Speaker 1: leave me, Whitetail? asked Bumper. Yes, Bumper, for you travel
• 1:46:00
  Speaker 1: too slow for me. You must find a burrow and
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 1: run for it. There must be one around here. Yes,
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: there's a good one not far from here. But don't
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 1: you need me? No, Bumper. I can outrun you, and
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: if you come along, Puma may overtake me. Goodbye, and
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 1: thank you. I'm off now. Bumper waited until Whitetail was
• 1:46:24
  Speaker 1: out of sight and hearing. Then he sought a safe
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 1: burrow and stood at the entrance to watch and listen.
• 1:46:32
  Speaker 1: Pretty soon he heard a crash in the bushes as
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: Puma came dashing along. Close behind him was Great Horn
• 1:46:39
  Speaker 1: the Owl, flitting from tree to tree. I wonder where
• 1:46:44
  Speaker 1: Rusty is, Great Horn was saying. I don't see him anywhere.
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: Neither do I see Whitetail, roared back Boomer. But I
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: smell him. I'm on the right trail. I wish I
• 1:46:59
  Speaker 1: could smell Rusty. My eyes are good, but my nose
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 1: isn't as sharp as yours, Boomer. I don't care where
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: Rusty is, was the reply. I want Whitetail, and I'm
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 1: going to catch him this time. He can't escape as
• 1:47:14
  Speaker 1: he did before. They swept past Bumper and made their
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 1: way down the trail. The white rabbit sighed and said,
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 1: I do hope Whitetail will escape. And Whitetail hoped so too. Meanwhile,
• 1:47:30
  Speaker 1: he was running with all his might. As soon as
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: he had left his two friends, he leaped through the
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: bushes or over them, with his head aimed straight for
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 1: the brook. He heard the roar of Puma behind him.
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: and this spurred him on to greater speed. When he
• 1:47:47
  Speaker 1: finally reached the shallow brook, he waded in and rapidly
• 1:47:51
  Speaker 1: followed it down toward its mouth, where it joined the
• 1:47:55
  Speaker 1: wider stream. When Puma reached the brook, he was baffled.
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 1: The sentient in following suddenly stopped. Which way has he gone?
• 1:48:05
  Speaker 1: he growled. Up or down? I'll go up, great horn,
• 1:48:09
  Speaker 1: and you go down. If you see him, hoot to me.
• 1:48:13
  Speaker 1: and I'll come. Puma crossed the stream and ran up
• 1:48:17
  Speaker 1: it on the opposite side, and great Horn flitted down it.
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: Of course, Great Horn found Whitetail, but what happened then
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 1: will appear next. End of story twelve Story 13 of
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 1: Whitetail the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh. This Libberfox
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Recording by phone. Whitetail
• 1:48:48
  Speaker 1: hears unpleasant news. Great Horn found Whitetail a long way
• 1:48:54
  Speaker 1: down the stream, but by that time morning was dawning
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 1: and the light began to hurt the owl's eyes. He
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 1: caught a glimpse of something moving through the bushes and
• 1:49:05
  Speaker 1: and flew toward it, for he could not in the
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 1: early light see very far. Ah, I found you, Whitetail,
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: he cried. I knew it was you. How did you
• 1:49:18
  Speaker 1: know it, Great Horn? asked Whitetail. I know you can't
• 1:49:22
  Speaker 1: see very well in this light. I don't believe you
• 1:49:25
  Speaker 1: can see me yet. You only hear me. The idea,
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 1: snapped Great Horn. I can see you as well as
• 1:49:34
  Speaker 1: you can see me. I don't believe it, replied Whitetail.
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 1: Can you see Rusty sitting on the end of my antlers? Rusty, Rusty,
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 1: is he there? exclaimed Great Horn excitedly. Now the thought
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 1: of being so near to his prey made him very hungry,
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 1: and he flew straight at Whitetail's head. This was what
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 1: the buck wanted, and when the owl was close enough,
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 1: He swung his antlers around swiftly and caught Great Horn
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 1: on the end. The blow was enough to knock the
• 1:50:09
  Speaker 1: breath out of the bird, and he fell with a
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 1: plump in the bushes. That's for betraying me to Puma,
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 1: Whitetail said. Now call to him when you can get
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 1: back your breath. I'm off. And through the bushes he ran,
• 1:50:26
  Speaker 1: leaving Great Horn so surprised and stunned. that he couldn't
• 1:50:30
  Speaker 1: call to Puma for a long time. Whitetail had made
• 1:50:34
  Speaker 1: good his escape. A few yards through the woods, he
• 1:50:39
  Speaker 1: came upon the other stream, the broad river which he
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 1: knew so well. He crossed this, and made his way
• 1:50:46
  Speaker 1: up the other embankment. Then, with the woods before him
• 1:50:50
  Speaker 1: familiar to his eyes and nose, he ran rapidly toward home.
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 1: He had made his way out of Puma's hunting, and
• 1:50:58
  Speaker 1: threw the higher timberland to his home. His appearance was
• 1:51:02
  Speaker 1: hailed with delight by all his friends. Oh, Whitehill, we
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 1: thought you were dead, exclaimed one. Dead? Ha! Why should
• 1:51:13
  Speaker 1: you think that? he sniffed. Young Black Buck said you were.
• 1:51:17
  Speaker 1: He left you, and he was sure the dogs would
• 1:51:20
  Speaker 1: catch you. He was sorry for you, but you couldn't
• 1:51:24
  Speaker 1: keep up with him. and he didn't want to die
• 1:51:26
  Speaker 1: because you couldn't run as fast as he. What! exclaimed Whitetail.
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 1: Has young Black Buck returned, and did he tell such
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 1: a tale? Why, yes, that's what he said. With a
• 1:51:41
  Speaker 1: roar of rage at this falsehood, Whitetail pushed his way
• 1:51:45
  Speaker 1: into the middle of the herd and stood face to
• 1:51:48
  Speaker 1: face before young Black Buck. You have been spreading more
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 1: false stories about me, young black buck, he said. After
• 1:51:57
  Speaker 1: the way I saved you from the dogs, you lie
• 1:52:00
  Speaker 1: about me. Young black buck stood all a-tremble at the
• 1:52:05
  Speaker 1: sight of Whitetail. He had truly believed that the dogs
• 1:52:09
  Speaker 1: would catch him, and he thought there would be no
• 1:52:12
  Speaker 1: harm in telling a story of his escape that would
• 1:52:15
  Speaker 1: hurt Whitetail and help himself. Listen, Whitetail added. swinging around
• 1:52:22
  Speaker 1: and facing the herd. Listen to a story of treachery.
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck has lied to you, and you must
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 1: hear me. When he stumbled and sprained his leg, I
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 1: stayed with him until it healed. Then, when the manhunters
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 1: started the dogs on our trail, we ran together until
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck's weak leg crippled him again. The dogs
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 1: would have caught him, but I waited for them. and
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: when they saw me I led them off on my trail.
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck escaped while I led the dogs a
• 1:52:57
  Speaker 1: merry chase. I saved his life, and he rewards me
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 1: for it by lies, nothing but lies. The commotion that
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: followed these words was great, and the herd gazed from
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: one speaker to the other. I challenge you to deny it,
• 1:53:16
  Speaker 1: continued White Hill, facing Young Black Buck. See, he cannot
• 1:53:21
  Speaker 1: deny it. He knows it to be the truth. Young
• 1:53:25
  Speaker 1: Black Buck indeed looked guilty. His limbs were trembling and
• 1:53:30
  Speaker 1: his head drooping. For once he had no ready story
• 1:53:34
  Speaker 1: to explain his lies. To punish you for it, Young
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 1: Black Buck, I challenge you to a fight, went on
• 1:53:43
  Speaker 1: White Hill, now so enraged that he wanted to punish
• 1:53:46
  Speaker 1: his rival. It was then that Black Buck interfered. Cease
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 1: your quarreling over such petty things, he said. There are
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 1: greater things for the herd to consider than this. What
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: can be greater than a question of honor, interrupted Whitetail boldly?
• 1:54:07
  Speaker 1: Your son has spread falsehoods about me, and I challenge
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: him to prove it by fighting. And I tell you
• 1:54:15
  Speaker 1: to cease your quarreling, added Black Buck. You may need
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 1: your strength for a different kind of challenge. Know you
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 1: not what has happened? Whitetail looked mystified. Suddenly, it occurred
• 1:54:29
  Speaker 1: to him that he hadn't seen Father Buck or Mother Deer.
• 1:54:33
  Speaker 1: They hadn't come forth to greet him. Had anything serious
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 1: happened to them? No, I don't know what has happened,
• 1:54:41
  Speaker 1: Whitetail admitted. I have been away and know nothing. Then listen.
• 1:54:48
  Speaker 1: replied Black Buck. Our leader has failed. He stumbled in
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 1: the chase and missed his footing. When we crossed the brook,
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 1: he failed to clear it. He is no longer our leader.
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 1: He is old and broken. Tomorrow we meet at the
• 1:55:04
  Speaker 1: council tree to choose a new leader. Whitetail stood dumbfounded.
• 1:55:10
  Speaker 1: Father Buck had been disgraced. He had fallen and missed
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 1: his footing. He had failed to cross the brook in
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 1: a single jump. He was to be deposed as leader.
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 1: It seemed incredible, and Whitetail was on the point of
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 1: saying so when he remembered the words of Father Buck
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: and his prediction that some day he would fail through
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: old age and weakness. The thing had happened then in
• 1:55:36
  Speaker 1: his absence. Whitetail was glad of that, for it would
• 1:55:41
  Speaker 1: have been hard for him to witness the leader's downfall.
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 1: Without another word to Black Buck, he whirled around to
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 1: hunt up Father Buck and Mother Deer. He wanted the
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 1: truth from their lips, and not from one who found
• 1:55:55
  Speaker 1: pleasure in it. The sneer in Black Buck's words angered him.
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 1: He found the two quietly resting under a tree back
• 1:56:05
  Speaker 1: of the herd, a little to one side, as if
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: they had already been cast out and ignored by those
• 1:56:11
  Speaker 1: who had so recently looked up to them. Mother Deer
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 1: rose and ran to greet her son. It is well,
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 1: White Tail, that you've come back at this time, she
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 1: said quietly. You have heard the news? Yes, I've heard it.
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 1: It is true, then, that... that... Yes, my son, interrupted
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 1: Father Buck. I have led my last chase. Never again
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 1: will the herd follow me. What must come to all
• 1:56:42
  Speaker 1: of us at some time has befallen me. There is
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 1: nothing to regret. One and all must face it, sooner
• 1:56:51
  Speaker 1: or later. Why should we not accept it complacently? Whitehill
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 1: was surprised and yet pleased by the quiet acceptance Father
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 1: Buck took of his downfall. It softened the load that
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 1: he was carrying in his own heart. I prepared you
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 1: for it, you remember, Whitehill, the old leader continued. Well,
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 1: Tomorrow they will choose a new leader. They will demand
• 1:57:18
  Speaker 1: that I step aside. But until then, I'm leader, and
• 1:57:23
  Speaker 1: no one shall dispute that right. He rose and shook
• 1:57:27
  Speaker 1: his huge antlered head, looking for all the world like
• 1:57:31
  Speaker 1: a leader, and when he bellowed an order, everyone started.
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 1: He was not yet deposed. In the next story, what
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 1: happened at the council tree will be told. End of
• 1:57:45
  Speaker 1: story 13. Story 14 of White Tail the Deer's Adventures
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 1: by George Ethelbert Walsh. This LibriVox recording is in the
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 1: public domain. Recording by phone. Choosing a New Leader The
• 1:58:08
  Speaker 1: call for a meeting at the Council Tree was issued
• 1:58:11
  Speaker 1: to the herd by Father Buck himself. It was his
• 1:58:15
  Speaker 1: duty to do this, for the law of the herd
• 1:58:19
  Speaker 1: is that a leader is still in command, and his
• 1:58:22
  Speaker 1: word must be obeyed until he has been deposed and
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 1: another chosen. Whitetail had been twice at the council tree before,
• 1:58:32
  Speaker 1: but never on such a momentous occasion as this. His
• 1:58:36
  Speaker 1: own initiation into the secrets of the council was nothing
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 1: compared to the choosing of a new leader. He felt
• 1:58:43
  Speaker 1: the weight of responsibility that was laid upon him, for
• 1:58:47
  Speaker 1: the time had come for him to succeed his father
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 1: or fail forever. The choosing of a leader did not
• 1:58:55
  Speaker 1: happen often. once in a lifetime was the average. Unless
• 1:58:59
  Speaker 1: something happened to a leader to cut him down accidentally
• 1:59:03
  Speaker 1: in the prime of his life, or puma or timber
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 1: pulled him down in the chase, no successor was chosen
• 1:59:10
  Speaker 1: until he grew too weak and decrepit to lead. The
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 1: event was, therefore, an important one, and longed to be
• 1:59:18
  Speaker 1: remembered by those who took part in it. Father Buck
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 1: had led the herd for so many seasons that that
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 1: none but the older ones could remember when he was
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 1: not their leader. In all those days and seasons he
• 1:59:32
  Speaker 1: had been shrewd, wise and courageous, so that few accidents
• 1:59:37
  Speaker 1: had happened to any of their deer. His had been
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 1: the most successful leadership that any could recall. When they
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 1: assembled at the council tree, Father Buck was there ahead
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 1: of them, standing lonely and aloof in the place of
• 1:59:53
  Speaker 1: honour under the big tree. His lordly head, with its
• 1:59:57
  Speaker 1: great spread of antlers, was held high, so that some
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 1: of those who had come to scoff and laugh at
• 2:00:04
  Speaker 1: him felt a sudden awe. There was none of the
• 2:00:08
  Speaker 1: meekness and humility of a fallen leader in his attitude.
• 2:00:13
  Speaker 1: Black Buck and the other older bucks, who had long
• 2:00:16
  Speaker 1: years before contended with Father Buck for leadership, were impressed
• 2:00:21
  Speaker 1: by his looks. and they took their places in the
• 2:00:24
  Speaker 1: semicircle in uneasy silence. Suppose Father Buck should challenge again
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 1: for leadership, despite his failure of the previous day. Could
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 1: any of them win in a mighty battle with him?
• 2:00:38
  Speaker 1: They too were growing old, and their limbs and eyes
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 1: were not as strong and sure as when they were young.
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 1: You know the law of the herd and of my people.
• 2:00:51
  Speaker 1: Father Buck announced when all the deer were there. Yesterday
• 2:00:55
  Speaker 1: I failed you. It was the first time since I
• 2:00:59
  Speaker 1: became your leader. Now the call is for a new
• 2:01:02
  Speaker 1: leader unless I challenge for it again and win it
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 1: by my might. He swung his antlered head around at
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 1: the half-circle of older bucks. There was a menace and
• 2:01:15
  Speaker 1: challenge in the beautiful eyes. We want a new leader!
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 1: bellowed Black Buck angrily. You can't lead us again, Father Buck.
• 2:01:25
  Speaker 1: You have failed in the chase. Twice you failed within
• 2:01:29
  Speaker 1: a day. A new leader is what we demand. There
• 2:01:34
  Speaker 1: was a chorus of approvals, and Black Buck gained courage
• 2:01:38
  Speaker 1: by the backing his words received, but Father Buck cut
• 2:01:42
  Speaker 1: him off short. Be silent, he said. I am still leader,
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 1: and my word is law, There was no disputing this.
• 2:02:02
  Speaker 1: The law of the herd was very simple, and it
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 1: had to be obeyed. Even Black Buck knew this, and
• 2:02:10
  Speaker 1: if he chose, Father Buck could challenge and prove his
• 2:02:13
  Speaker 1: right to remain leader if he proved himself better than
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 1: all others. If you challenge again, began Black Buck, you
• 2:02:23
  Speaker 1: must do battle with the young bucks as well as
• 2:02:25
  Speaker 1: the others. That's the law, isn't it? It is, replied
• 2:02:31
  Speaker 1: Father Buck. Young and old may meet the challenger, but
• 2:02:36
  Speaker 1: I first issue my challenge to the older ones. That
• 2:02:40
  Speaker 1: is my right. I may be old and weak, my
• 2:02:43
  Speaker 1: eyes may be growing dim, and my legs less active
• 2:02:47
  Speaker 1: and sure. But I am still leader, and I issue
• 2:02:52
  Speaker 1: the first challenge. All you bucks more than three seasons old,
• 2:02:57
  Speaker 1: step forth. It is to you I issue this challenge.
• 2:03:01
  Speaker 1: Come and accept it. I will fight for the leadership.
• 2:03:06
  Speaker 1: An uneasy thrill swept the multitude. Each turned to look
• 2:03:11
  Speaker 1: the other in the eye. Who would accept Father Buck's challenge?
• 2:03:15
  Speaker 1: Black Buck hesitated, measuring the sturdy limbs of the leader
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 1: with his own, and comparing the thick-set neck and head
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 1: of antlers with those of his immediate neighbours. There was
• 2:03:28
  Speaker 1: not one qualified to enter the lists and hope to
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 1: carry off the honours.' I hear no one,' shouted Father Buck.'
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 1: The challenge is not accepted. So be it. Then we
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: come to the second challenge.' Here, too, the law gives
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 1: me the right to fight with younger bucks for leadership.
• 2:03:51
  Speaker 1: We have many of them, young, sturdy, bright-eyed offsprings of ours,
• 2:03:56
  Speaker 1: who will some day win honours in the chase. They
• 2:04:00
  Speaker 1: have eyes as keen as ours were at one time,
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 1: limbs as straight and strong, minds as active and intelligent.
• 2:04:10
  Speaker 1: We have taught them the ways of the woods, and
• 2:04:13
  Speaker 1: they come to the council tree to-day to prove their rights.
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 1: He stopped and gazed around at the big assembly. His
• 2:04:22
  Speaker 1: words and commanding figure had made even Father Book's worst
• 2:04:26
  Speaker 1: enemies respectful. The outcome of the meeting was still uncertain
• 2:04:31
  Speaker 1: and wrapped in mystery. Therefore, the leader continued after a pause,
• 2:04:39
  Speaker 1: it is for them to decide the leadership. I have
• 2:04:43
  Speaker 1: no wish to challenge them. I could not conquer them
• 2:04:46
  Speaker 1: if I chose. It shall be as they decide. Who
• 2:04:51
  Speaker 1: of the younger ones challenges for the high honour of
• 2:04:54
  Speaker 1: leader to take my place? A thrill of excitement passed around,
• 2:05:00
  Speaker 1: for the crucial moment had now arrived. Father Buck did
• 2:05:04
  Speaker 1: not intend to fight to retain the leadership. There was
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 1: an instant pause in which he could have heard a
• 2:05:10
  Speaker 1: twig snap, and then young Black Buck with head held high,
• 2:05:16
  Speaker 1: stepped to the centre of the semicircle. He trotted gracefully
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 1: around several times, and then halted before Father Buck. I,
• 2:05:27
  Speaker 1: young Black Buck, son of Black Buck of Dismal Swamp,
• 2:05:32
  Speaker 1: challenge for the leadership. I shall prove my right to
• 2:05:35
  Speaker 1: it by the one test that is required by the
• 2:05:38
  Speaker 1: law of the herd, a battle with all comers. It
• 2:05:43
  Speaker 1: is well, young Black Buck, replied Father Buck, looking at
• 2:05:48
  Speaker 1: the haughty eyes of the challenger. You have been the
• 2:05:51
  Speaker 1: first to challenge. Is there any other? The aged leader
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 1: turned his head just a little so that his eyes
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: could rest upon Whitetail, but it did not need this
• 2:06:03
  Speaker 1: look to inspire his son. Whitetail had already started forward,
• 2:06:09
  Speaker 1: and with no less pride and dignity than young Black Buck,
• 2:06:13
  Speaker 1: he trotted into the centre of the clearing. I, Whitetail,
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 1: son of your great leader and of Mother Deer, accept
• 2:06:22
  Speaker 1: the challenge. As I have proved greater than young Black
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 1: Buck in the chase, in the long jump, and in
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 1: other ways, I shall prove to you in combat that
• 2:06:33
  Speaker 1: I am better fitted to lead the herd than he.
• 2:06:37
  Speaker 1: The excitement reached a climax when Whitetail had finished his challenge.
• 2:06:43
  Speaker 1: but Father Buck raised his head again to speak. Who
• 2:06:47
  Speaker 1: next challenges? The law of the herd permits anyone under
• 2:06:52
  Speaker 1: three seasons. Who speaks? There was no answer and no
• 2:06:57
  Speaker 1: one stepped forward. The aged leader cast his eyes slowly
• 2:07:02
  Speaker 1: around the crowd to make sure he had missed none
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 1: and then returned to the two challengers. So be it,
• 2:07:11
  Speaker 1: he said. The leadership shall be settled between these two,
• 2:07:16
  Speaker 1: White Tail and Young Black Buck. The herd must accept
• 2:07:20
  Speaker 1: the victor as their leader. In the next story will
• 2:07:25
  Speaker 1: come the combat. End of story fourteen. Story fifteen of
• 2:07:37
  Speaker 1: White Tail the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh This
• 2:07:41
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Great Combat Now,
• 2:07:48
  Speaker 1: the law of the herd says that the challengers for
• 2:07:51
  Speaker 1: leadership shall fight until one or the other is victor.
• 2:07:56
  Speaker 1: If it takes hours or days or weeks, it must
• 2:08:00
  Speaker 1: continue until one is beaten and can no longer fight.
• 2:08:05
  Speaker 1: The rules are simple. He must prove himself the victor
• 2:08:09
  Speaker 1: by strength, cunning, intelligence, trickery or any other way. The
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: leader must be supreme so that none again dare challenge
• 2:08:19
  Speaker 1: his authority. It is always a battle royale in the woods.
• 2:08:24
  Speaker 1: It never ends in a draw, except in those few
• 2:08:27
  Speaker 1: sad but rare cases when horns and antlers get interlocked
• 2:08:33
  Speaker 1: and neither can pull away until both starve. Then a
• 2:08:37
  Speaker 1: new challenge must be issued and another leader chosen. Of
• 2:08:42
  Speaker 1: this both Whitetail and Young Black Buck knew, and above
• 2:08:46
  Speaker 1: all they sought to keep their horns and antlers from
• 2:08:50
  Speaker 1: becoming interlocked. It availed the victor little to conquer if
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 1: he starved with the vanquished. When they sprang toward each
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 1: other with lowered heads, they kept a wary eye out
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 1: for the other's twisted antlers. It was a light charge
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 1: at first, a mere test of skill and strength, but
• 2:09:11
  Speaker 1: their heads came together with a shock that sounded throughout
• 2:09:15
  Speaker 1: the woods. Then they withdrew and trotted around each other,
• 2:09:20
  Speaker 1: waiting for a favourable opening. Both knew that one blow
• 2:09:25
  Speaker 1: against the side or limbs of the other would cripple
• 2:09:29
  Speaker 1: his antagonist so the fight would be short. After circling
• 2:09:33
  Speaker 1: Whitetail three times, young Black Buck launched his head straight
• 2:09:38
  Speaker 1: for the flanks of his enemies. and for a moment
• 2:09:41
  Speaker 1: it looked as if he would gain a great advantage.
• 2:09:44
  Speaker 1: But at the critical instant, Whitetail turned and met the
• 2:09:48
  Speaker 1: charge head-on. The clash of antlers was terrific, but neither
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 1: went down. Next they butted in short, sharp swings of
• 2:09:58
  Speaker 1: the head, slashing, cutting and pounding with all their might.
• 2:10:03
  Speaker 1: It was like a close-in sparring match between two skilled boxers,
• 2:10:08
  Speaker 1: each waiting for an opening to deliver a fatal blow,
• 2:10:12
  Speaker 1: but both were as swift in defence as in offence.
• 2:10:17
  Speaker 1: They withdrew from the conflict and trotted around each other
• 2:10:21
  Speaker 1: once more. This time, Whitetail led the attack. Rearing on
• 2:10:26
  Speaker 1: his hind legs, he brought all the weight of his
• 2:10:29
  Speaker 1: body in a downward blow that made young Black Buck
• 2:10:33
  Speaker 1: shake and tremble. For a moment, neither could recover from
• 2:10:37
  Speaker 1: the terrible shock. So swift and powerful had the blow been.
• 2:10:41
  Speaker 1: A thrill of excitement went through the assembled herd. Well done,
• 2:10:48
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Father Buck. But not better than my son can do,
• 2:10:53
  Speaker 1: echoed Black Buck. To prove the truth of his father's words,
• 2:10:58
  Speaker 1: young Black Buck turned a complete circle, suddenly reared, and
• 2:11:03
  Speaker 1: brought his head down in another terrific blow. Whitetail received it.
• 2:11:08
  Speaker 1: and for a time their horns and antlers became locked.
• 2:11:12
  Speaker 1: They pulled and jerked, pushed and twisted all over the
• 2:11:16
  Speaker 1: open space to free their heads. With a sudden snap,
• 2:11:21
  Speaker 1: the antlers loosened and they were free once more. The
• 2:11:26
  Speaker 1: battle grew more vigorous now that the two combatants were
• 2:11:30
  Speaker 1: warmed to the fray. They began to put more speed
• 2:11:33
  Speaker 1: in their motions and more force in their blows. Confident
• 2:11:38
  Speaker 1: that neither one could take advantage of the other, they
• 2:11:42
  Speaker 1: fell back to hard hitting. In this strength counted, and
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 1: it was soon seen that they were pretty evenly matched.
• 2:11:51
  Speaker 1: Again and again they received and administered punishment. It may
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: have seemed cruel to one not acquainted with the laws
• 2:12:00
  Speaker 1: of the wild deer, but not so to the spectators
• 2:12:04
  Speaker 1: nor to the fighters. The leadership had to be decided
• 2:12:08
  Speaker 1: in this manner, and either combatant had the right to
• 2:12:12
  Speaker 1: stop it by yielding to the other. But neither Whitetail
• 2:12:16
  Speaker 1: nor young Black Buck had any intention of doing this.
• 2:12:21
  Speaker 1: The blood of the older ones was warmed by the sight.
• 2:12:25
  Speaker 1: Father Buck recalled the day when he fought Black Buck
• 2:12:29
  Speaker 1: for leadership, and he was proud of his son now
• 2:12:32
  Speaker 1: fighting over again his own battles. Even Mother Deer, tender-hearted
• 2:12:38
  Speaker 1: as she was, admired and applauded Whitetail. She knew the
• 2:12:43
  Speaker 1: battle once decided in his favour would never have to
• 2:12:47
  Speaker 1: be repeated. Whitetail suddenly delivered a crushing blow upon his
• 2:12:53
  Speaker 1: enemy's head that brought him to his knees. For an
• 2:12:57
  Speaker 1: instant everyone held his breath, but before Whitetail could take
• 2:13:01
  Speaker 1: advantage of it with another blow, he slipped and nearly
• 2:13:05
  Speaker 1: fell to his own knees. Young Black Buck was up
• 2:13:09
  Speaker 1: in an instant and made a wild rush for his adversary.
• 2:13:14
  Speaker 1: Whitetail was prepared and received it steadily. The combat continued
• 2:13:20
  Speaker 1: for an hour, two hours, three hours, until the flanks
• 2:13:24
  Speaker 1: of both were covered with foam, and still they butted
• 2:13:29
  Speaker 1: and bucked and fought with all their might. Their breath
• 2:13:34
  Speaker 1: was coming in short gasps, and their eyes flashing defiance.
• 2:13:39
  Speaker 1: All that morning the fight continued, with slight intervals for
• 2:13:44
  Speaker 1: a rest. Then they returned to it, each more determined
• 2:13:48
  Speaker 1: than ever to defeat his rival. Young Black Buck soon
• 2:13:52
  Speaker 1: showed signs of weakening, and his father, noticing it, called out,
• 2:13:58
  Speaker 1: Let them rest until another day. They have done enough to-day. No, no,
• 2:14:05
  Speaker 1: shouted a dozen voices. The combat must go on, replied
• 2:14:11
  Speaker 1: Father Buck, not until they both ask for a rest
• 2:14:15
  Speaker 1: cannot stop. It was renewed with greater vigour. Growing weak
• 2:14:21
  Speaker 1: by the strain, they fell more often to their knees.
• 2:14:25
  Speaker 1: The crashing of horns in mighty blows could no longer
• 2:14:29
  Speaker 1: be resisted so easily. They were longer in recovering from
• 2:14:33
  Speaker 1: the blows and slower in getting to their feet. Shall
• 2:14:38
  Speaker 1: we put it off until another day? asked Young Black
• 2:14:42
  Speaker 1: Buck suddenly to his rival. No, it shall be settled today,
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 1: replied Whitetail, breathing hard. I can fight for weeks yet.
• 2:14:54
  Speaker 1: I remember your lies about me, Young Black Buck. I
• 2:14:57
  Speaker 1: recall your treachery in the woods. I think of how
• 2:15:01
  Speaker 1: you lost me in Dismal Swamp so I might be disgraced.
• 2:15:06
  Speaker 1: And now you shall be punished for them. I shall
• 2:15:10
  Speaker 1: fight you until you can't get up again. That will
• 2:15:14
  Speaker 1: never happen, Whitetail. You can never do that. But this
• 2:15:19
  Speaker 1: boast was hard to make good. Young Black Buck was
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 1: showing weariness. Again and again he stumbled and fell to
• 2:15:28
  Speaker 1: his knees. and each time Whitetail sprang at him and
• 2:15:32
  Speaker 1: delivered a series of mighty blows with his head. Once
• 2:15:37
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck failed to get quickly back to his feet,
• 2:15:41
  Speaker 1: and Whitetail rushed him. With all the speed and power
• 2:15:45
  Speaker 1: he could summon, he delivered a crushing blow and knocked
• 2:15:49
  Speaker 1: his rival down until all four legs were doubled up
• 2:15:53
  Speaker 1: under him. Whitetail stood over him, Call me leader, he snorted. Never,
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 1: grunted young Black Buck, and tried to rise. Whitetail knocked
• 2:16:07
  Speaker 1: him flat again before he could rise. Call me leader,
• 2:16:12
  Speaker 1: he challenged again. Never, came a fainter cry. Again, Whitetail
• 2:16:19
  Speaker 1: flattened him out and issued the challenge the third time,
• 2:16:24
  Speaker 1: and once more Black Buck refused. Four times Whitetail flattened
• 2:16:30
  Speaker 1: him on the ground and the fifth time Young Black
• 2:16:33
  Speaker 1: Buck could not rise. Call me leader. There was no response.
• 2:16:41
  Speaker 1: Young Black Buck was too weak to answer. Whitetail stood
• 2:16:46
  Speaker 1: over him. Three times Young Black Buck tried to rise
• 2:16:51
  Speaker 1: but fell back. He was too weak to respond to
• 2:16:55
  Speaker 1: the challenge or to get to his feet. The battle
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 1: was over. Whitetail was victor. Who challenges my leadership now?
• 2:17:06
  Speaker 1: Whitetail bellowed, glaring around. And none replied. Their very silence
• 2:17:12
  Speaker 1: made him their choice. In the next story, Whitetail succeeds
• 2:17:17
  Speaker 1: his father and becomes leader of the herd. End of
• 2:17:23
  Speaker 1: story fifteen. Story 16 of Whitetail the Deer's Adventures by
• 2:17:33
  Speaker 1: George Asselbert Walsh. This Libervox recording is in the public domain.
• 2:17:38
  Speaker 1: Recording by phone. Whitetail made leader of the herd. By
• 2:17:45
  Speaker 1: defeating young Black Buck in combat, Whitetail was... according to
• 2:17:50
  Speaker 1: the law of the herd, chosen leader until another should
• 2:17:54
  Speaker 1: grow up and displace him. The decision on the battlefield
• 2:17:59
  Speaker 1: could not be changed or altered. Even Black Buck and
• 2:18:03
  Speaker 1: his son recognised this, and without protest they permitted Father
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: Buck to complete the ceremony. The law of the herd
• 2:18:12
  Speaker 1: has been vindicated, he said, after Whitetail had trotted around
• 2:18:16
  Speaker 1: the vast circle and challenged in vain any other antagonist.
• 2:18:23
  Speaker 1: Whitetail shall henceforth be your leader. To him obedience shall
• 2:18:28
  Speaker 1: be given, and any who refuses shall be driven into exile.
• 2:18:33
  Speaker 1: If there is any opposition, it must be stated now.
• 2:18:38
  Speaker 1: Black Buck's wicked eyes flashed angrily. He was doubly disappointed
• 2:18:43
  Speaker 1: that his son had failed, for his own defeat years
• 2:18:46
  Speaker 1: before came back to torment him. Young Black Buck was
• 2:18:51
  Speaker 1: too exhausted to speak, and if there was any protest
• 2:18:55
  Speaker 1: it had to come from his father. Young Black Buck,
• 2:18:59
  Speaker 1: have you anything to say? continued Father Buck, turning to
• 2:19:03
  Speaker 1: the defeated. Young Black Buck shook his head wearily. There
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 1: was no fight left in him. You promise to obey
• 2:19:13
  Speaker 1: the new leader? Again, the weary shaking of the hand,
• 2:19:17
  Speaker 1: followed by a sign as the vanquished dropped down and
• 2:19:21
  Speaker 1: closed his eyes. And you, black buck of dismal swamp?
• 2:19:28
  Speaker 1: I will follow and obey the leader as I followed
• 2:19:31
  Speaker 1: and obeyed you, Father Buck, was the answer. There was
• 2:19:35
  Speaker 1: nothing else for me to do. I submit to the law.
• 2:19:40
  Speaker 1: Father Buck turned to Whitetail, whose distended nostrils and flashing
• 2:19:45
  Speaker 1: eyes indicated that he was still ready to fight for
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 1: his honour. The eyes of father and son met an
• 2:19:52
  Speaker 1: instant in an exchange of pride and happiness. It is well, then,
• 2:19:59
  Speaker 1: continued the ex-leader. Whitetail shall henceforth be the head of
• 2:20:04
  Speaker 1: the herd. I go back to my place among the
• 2:20:07
  Speaker 1: older bucks to follow. A certain wistfulness crept into his
• 2:20:12
  Speaker 1: voice and eyes. It was hard to yield the proud position,
• 2:20:17
  Speaker 1: to hand over the burdens and glory of leader to another.
• 2:20:22
  Speaker 1: None could do it without a certain amount of regret,
• 2:20:25
  Speaker 1: not even though the successor was his own son. I
• 2:20:30
  Speaker 1: have led you many, many seasons, continued Father Buck. And
• 2:20:35
  Speaker 1: always with success. Puma and Timber have never raided the
• 2:20:40
  Speaker 1: herd in my time. We have foiled and deceived them,
• 2:20:44
  Speaker 1: finding new pasture fields where they could not come. We
• 2:20:48
  Speaker 1: have been safe from Loop the Lynx and Sneaky the
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 1: Grey Wolf. I have fought them both, holding them at
• 2:20:55
  Speaker 1: bay with my mighty horns. And once, I remember, it
• 2:20:59
  Speaker 1: was a hard-fought, desperate battle with Sneaky. But before he
• 2:21:04
  Speaker 1: could call his back, the herd had escaped, and I
• 2:21:08
  Speaker 1: fled from him on the wind. He paused a moment,
• 2:21:12
  Speaker 1: swinging his head proudly from side to side. And our
• 2:21:17
  Speaker 1: pasture fields have always been rich and sufficient, he continued.
• 2:21:22
  Speaker 1: I have led you where the food was plentiful, even
• 2:21:25
  Speaker 1: in the depths of winter. In snow and rain we
• 2:21:29
  Speaker 1: have fared well. Our fawns and does have been safe.
• 2:21:34
  Speaker 1: Not one has been lost through bad leadership. We have
• 2:21:38
  Speaker 1: multiplied and grown strong. Today we stand first among the
• 2:21:43
  Speaker 1: great herds of the Timberland. May we continue to grow
• 2:21:47
  Speaker 1: and thrive under our new leader. With his farewell address finished,
• 2:21:53
  Speaker 1: Father Buck stepped from under the council tree, and Whitetail,
• 2:21:58
  Speaker 1: knowing that he was expected to assume control, trotted up
• 2:22:02
  Speaker 1: to take his place. Some noticed that, as he passed
• 2:22:06
  Speaker 1: Father Buck, he was taller and stronger in limb than
• 2:22:10
  Speaker 1: the ex-leader. The tips of his antlers towered a full
• 2:22:15
  Speaker 1: foot higher than those of Father Buck. Even his enemies
• 2:22:19
  Speaker 1: noticed this, and were satisfied that he would prove a
• 2:22:23
  Speaker 1: good leader. Father Buck has spoken well, White Hill began,
• 2:22:29
  Speaker 1: as he glanced proudly around at the herd. His leadership
• 2:22:34
  Speaker 1: has been successful, and I shall make it more so.
• 2:22:38
  Speaker 1: If I fail you, may I fall in the chase
• 2:22:41
  Speaker 1: and break my neck. If I show weakness or cowardice,
• 2:22:45
  Speaker 1: may Buma or Timberwolf pull me down and eat out
• 2:22:48
  Speaker 1: my heart. If I show lack of wisdom and justice,
• 2:22:53
  Speaker 1: may Loop the Lynx or Sneaky trip me and devour me.
• 2:22:58
  Speaker 1: I shall be your leader, and next to me He
• 2:23:02
  Speaker 1: stopped and glanced from one to another. He had the
• 2:23:05
  Speaker 1: right to choose the one next to him in power,
• 2:23:08
  Speaker 1: one who would lead the herd if he were sick
• 2:23:10
  Speaker 1: or away. And next to me in authority, he added,
• 2:23:17
  Speaker 1: comes young Black Buck. I have no ill will for him.
• 2:23:21
  Speaker 1: The past must be forgotten. All I ask from him
• 2:23:25
  Speaker 1: is loyalty and support. The safety of the herd must
• 2:23:28
  Speaker 1: always be his first thought. He must give his life,
• 2:23:32
  Speaker 1: if necessary, to protect the does and fawns in my absence.
• 2:23:37
  Speaker 1: Do you promise this, young black buck? Surprised by this
• 2:23:42
  Speaker 1: honour thrust so unexpectedly upon him, young black buck opened
• 2:23:47
  Speaker 1: his weary eyes and jumped to his feet. He trotted
• 2:23:51
  Speaker 1: into the circle and once more held his head high.'
• 2:23:54
  Speaker 1: Why jail?' he began in a trembling voice.' I don't
• 2:24:00
  Speaker 1: deserve this, but if you ask it, I shall accept.
• 2:24:05
  Speaker 1: I pledge loyalty and friendship. I shall make it the
• 2:24:08
  Speaker 1: law of my life to support your leadership and to
• 2:24:11
  Speaker 1: do all I can for the herd. Is that enough?
• 2:24:16
  Speaker 1: It is all I can ask, young black buck, answered Whitetail. Now,
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 1: under the council tree, we pledge ourselves to the service
• 2:24:25
  Speaker 1: of the herd and to each other's support. Let it
• 2:24:29
  Speaker 1: be understood that when I am away, young Black Buck
• 2:24:33
  Speaker 1: shall be in command, and it is the duty of
• 2:24:36
  Speaker 1: everyone to follow and obey him. It is so agreed.
• 2:24:41
  Speaker 1: The council is now finished. The meeting immediately broke up,
• 2:24:46
  Speaker 1: and the deer and bucks mingled together to congratulate the
• 2:24:50
  Speaker 1: new leaders, for the council had ended happily, and there
• 2:24:54
  Speaker 1: was no bitter feeling carried away. The older ones related
• 2:24:58
  Speaker 1: to the young ones stories of other similar meetings under
• 2:25:02
  Speaker 1: the council tree, and the latter listened eagerly to these tales.
• 2:25:08
  Speaker 1: Father Buck and Mother Deer withdrew silently, leaving Whitetail in command,
• 2:25:14
  Speaker 1: with the whole herd crowding around him to flatter and congratulate.
• 2:25:19
  Speaker 1: There was a new spring in the ex-leader's steps as
• 2:25:22
  Speaker 1: he trotted away, and Mother Deer walking along by his side,
• 2:25:28
  Speaker 1: noticed it. You do not act like a fallen leader,
• 2:25:32
  Speaker 1: she said, smiling. I haven't seen you walk so lightly
• 2:25:37
  Speaker 1: and happily for a long time. A fallen leader is
• 2:25:41
  Speaker 1: not always to be pitied, my dear, Father Buck replied.
• 2:25:46
  Speaker 1: The greatest thing he can do is to lead his
• 2:25:48
  Speaker 1: people successfully, and the next greatest thing is to rear
• 2:25:53
  Speaker 1: his son to take his place. Have I not done both?
• 2:25:58
  Speaker 1: Mother Deer nodded and smiled. Father Buck turned to her
• 2:26:02
  Speaker 1: and affectionately licked her neck. And the greatest thing you
• 2:26:07
  Speaker 1: could do, he added, is to train your son so
• 2:26:10
  Speaker 1: that he is worthy to lead. I am proud of
• 2:26:13
  Speaker 1: Whitetail and still prouder of you, Mother Deer. He is
• 2:26:18
  Speaker 1: your son. A little later, Whitetail found them together in
• 2:26:23
  Speaker 1: the woods. talking and smiling, and so happy in the
• 2:26:27
  Speaker 1: possession of each other's love that neither seemed to regret
• 2:26:31
  Speaker 1: the loss of authority. And Whitetail, watching them, said to himself,
• 2:26:37
  Speaker 1: The honour of being leader of the herd is not
• 2:26:40
  Speaker 1: all mine. I owe much of it to them. They
• 2:26:44
  Speaker 1: have trained me and taught me, and suffered for me,
• 2:26:48
  Speaker 1: that I might succeed. I shall never forget that. And
• 2:26:53
  Speaker 1: to the end of his days, which were many, Whitetail
• 2:26:57
  Speaker 1: never forgot that to have good parents was greater even
• 2:27:01
  Speaker 1: than to be the leader of the herd. The next
• 2:27:05
  Speaker 1: story in the Twilight series is entitled Washer the Raccoon.
• 2:27:11
  Speaker 1: End of story 16. Recording by phone. End of Whitetail
• 2:27:17
  Speaker 1: the Deer's Adventures by George Ethelbert Walsh.