[Illustration]
A last long follow brought the hunt back to familiar ground--a
marsh-encompassed tract of woods with three ways in. There was the
deer's trail entering. Yan felt he would not come out there, for he
knew his foe was following. So swiftly and silently the hunter made
for the second road on the down-wind side, and having hung his coat
and sash there on a swaying sapling, he hastened to the third way
out, and hid. After a while, seeing nothing, Yan gave the low call
that the jaybird gives when there's danger abroad in the woods.
[Illustration]
All deer take guidance from the jay, and away off in the encompassed
woods Yan saw the great Stag with wavering ears go up a high lookout.
A low whistle turned him to a statue, but he was far away with many a
twig between. For some seconds he stood sniffing the wind and gazing
with his back to his foe, watching the back trail, where so long his
enemy had been, but never dreaming of that enemy in ambush ahead. Then
the breeze set the coat on the sapling a-fluttering. The Stag quickly
quit the hillock, not leaping or crashing through the brush,--he had
years ago got past that,--but silent and weasel-like threading the
maze, he disappeared. Yan crouched in the willow thicket and strained
his every sense and tried to train his ears for keener watching. A
twig ticked in the copse that he was in. Yan slowly rose with nerve
and sense at tightest tense, the gun in line--and as he rose, there
also rose, but fifteen feet away, a wondrous pair of bronze and ivory
horns, a royal head, a noble form behind it, and face to face they
stood, Yan and the Sandhill Stag. At last--at last, his life was in
Yan's hands. The Stag flinched not, but stood and gazed with those
great ears and mournful, truthful eyes, and the rifle leaped but sank
again, for the Stag stood still and calmly looked him in the eyes, and
Yan felt the prickling fading from his scalp, his clenched teeth
eased, his limbs, bent as to spring, relaxed and manlike stood erect.
'_Shoot, shoot, shoot now! This is what you have toiled for_,' said a
faint and fading voice, and spoke no more.
[Illustration]
But Yan remembered the night when he, himself run down, had turned to
face the hunting wolves, he remembered too that night when the snow
was red with crime, and now between him and the other there he dimly
saw a vision of an agonizing, dying doe, with great, sad eyes, that
only asked, 'What harm have I done you?' A change came over him, and
every thought of murder went from Yan as they gazed into each other's
eyes--and hearts. Yan could not look him in the eyes and take his
life, and different thoughts and a wholly different concept of the
Stag, coming--coming--long coming--had come.
* * * * *
"Oh, beautiful creature! One of our wise men has said, the body is the
soul made visible; is your spirit then so beautiful--as beautiful as
wise? We have long stood as foes, hunter and hunted, but now that
is changed and we stand face to face, fellow-creatures looking in each
other's eyes, not knowing each other's speech--but knowing motives and
feelings. Now I understand you as I never did before; surely you at
least in part understand me. For your life is at last in my power, yet
you have no fear. I knew of a deer once, that, run down by the hounds,
sought safety with the hunter, and he saved it--and you also I have
run down and you boldly seek safety with me. Yes! you are as wise as
you are beautiful, for I will never harm a hair of you. We are
brothers, oh, bounding Blacktail! only I am the elder and stronger,
and if only my strength could always be at hand to save you, you would
never come to harm. Go now, without fear, to range the piney hills;
never more shall I follow your trail with the wild wolf rampant in my
heart. Less and less as I grow do I see in your race mere flying
marks, or butcher-meat. We have grown, Little Brother, and learned
many things that you know not, but you have many a precious sense that
is wholly hidden from us. Go now without fear of me.
[Illustration]
"I may never see you again. But if only you would come sometimes and
look me in the eyes and make me feel as you have done to-day, you
would drive the wild beast wholly from my heart, and then the veil
would be a little drawn and I should know more of the things that wise
men have prayed for knowledge of. And yet I feel it never will be--I
have found the Grail. I have learned what Buddha learned. I shall
never see you again. Farewell."
[Illustration]