Neither was it easy to feed the
little captive; but in gaining its confidence the
girl was an adept. The fawn soon followed her
everywhere, and called to her when hungry
exactly as she had called to her own mother.
After several days, when her fright at the
encounter with the bear had somewhat worn off,
Snana took her pet into the woods and back to
the very spot in which she had found it. In
the furthest corner of the wild plum grove she
laid it down, gently stroked its soft forehead,
and smoothed the leaflike ears. The little
thing closed its eyes. Once more the Sioux
girl bent over and laid her cheek against the
fawn's head; then reluctantly she moved away,
hoping and yet dreading that the mother would
return. She crouched under a clump of bushes
near by, and gave the doe call. It was a reckless
thing for her to do, for such a call might bring
upon her a mountain lion or ever-watchful silver-
tip; but Snana did not think of that.
In a few minutes she heard the light patter
of hoofs, and caught a glimpse of a doe running
straight toward the fawn's hiding-place.
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