Chapter 13 The DEER In The Wood

t be taken out of t in to be fed. all t-colored leaves became dull brown whe cold fall rains began.

trees. but pa rained, and o play ter supper.

topped. t. t and a little fire bued all day in tove to keep ter far away.

ttic and tarted to make patcs. everyto be snug and cosy again.

one nig after supper o c in ttle noing again.

pa rees near by in o c. a deer-lick salt. y place in to lick it, and t he ground.

after supper pa took into t to sleep any stories or music.

as soon as to t trees. pa to get a deer and come one. laura and mary did not knoo think.

all day pa tle rao keep out t nig tiger.

after supper pa took laura on close in tle chair. and pa said:

“noell you o eat today.

“ out to to a big oak tree. i found a place on a brancable and could co s any animal t came to it, and my gun was loaded and ready on my knee.

“t and ed for to rise and ligtle tired from cerday, and i must ;t rising. i could see it betrees, lo against it i saanding. ening. , brancood out above his head.

the moon.

“it s. but iful, rong and free and i couldnt kill t il o the dark woods.

“t, ma and my little girls ing for me to bring next time i would s.

“after ao t at from feasting on berries and roots and grubs all summer t , until o a rotten log. , and listened. t apart and sniffed among ting up t we grubs.

“tood up on ly still, looking all around o be suspicious t sometrying to see or smell was.

“ mark to s at, but i ed in c, t i forgot all about my gun. i did not even ting il o the woods.

“ t. ill never get any meat t;i settled myself in tree and ed again. time i ermined to s t game i saw.

“t le open place. all around it trees.

“after a long ily out of t afraid at all. to t, and ttle of it.

“t eacepped over and stood beside tood toget t. t.

i just sat t til t of tree and came home.”

laura s them! “

mary said, “e can eat bread and butter.”

pa lifted mary up out of ogether.

“youre my good girls,“ ;and nos bedtime. run along, w my fiddle.”

ucked snugly under trundle beds covers, pa ting in t t need its ligly in ting needles flas above tting.

ter evenings of firelight and music had come again. pas fiddle walled while pa was singing:

o you cry for me, im going to cal-i-for-ni-a, t for to see.”

to play again t old grimes. but sing t. pas strong, s voice ly singing:

“sance be forgot, and never brougo mind? sance be forgot, and tance be forgot, and the days of auld lang syne?”

opped singing laura called out softly, “ are days of auld lang syne, pa?”

“time ago, laura,“ pa said. “go to sleep, now.

but laura lay atle o pas fiddle softly playing and to t pa sitting on t gleaming on ening on t ma, gently rocking and knitting.

s to ;this is now.”

s t and t be forgotten, s, because no can never be a long time ago.