The fawn called loudly when it was first seized,
and the mother was not too far away to hear.
Now she called frantically for her child, at the
same time stamping with her delicate fore-feet.
"Yes, sister, you are right; she is yours; but
you cannot save her to-day! The hunters will
soon be here. Let me keep her for you; I will
return her to you safely. And hear me, O sis-
ter of the woods, that some day I may become
the mother of a noble race of warriors and of
fine women, as handsome as you are!"
At this moment the quick eyes of the Indian
girl detected something strange in the doe's
actions. She glanced in every direction and be-
hold! a grizzly bear was cautiously approach-
ing the group from a considerable distance.
"Run, run, sister! I shall save your child if
I can," she cried, and flew for the nearest scrub
oak on the edge of the bank. Up the tree she
scrambled, with the fawn still securely bound to
her back. The grizzly came on with teeth ex-
posed, and the doe-mother in her flight came
between him and the tree, giving a series of
indignant snorts as she ran, and so distracted
Mato from his object of attack; but only for a
few seconds--then on he came!
"Desist, O brave Mato! It does not become
a great medicine-man to attack a helpless woman
with a burden upon her back!"
Snana spoke as if the huge brute could un-
derstand her, and indeed the Indians hold that
wild animals understand intuitively when ap-
pealed to by human beings in distress.
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