Down from the top of the ridge back of the pond of Paddy the
Beaver plunged Lightfoot the Deer, his eyes blazing with rage.
He had understood the screaming of Sammy Jay. He knew that somewhere
down there was the big stranger he had been looking for.
The big stranger had understood Sammy's screaming quite as well
as Lightfoot. He knew that to run away now would be to prove
himself a coward and forever disgrace himself in the eyes of Miss
Daintyfoot, for that was the name of the beautiful stranger he
had been seeking. He MUST fight. There was no way out of it, he
MUST fight. The hair on the back of his neck stood up with anger
just as did the hair on the neck of Lightfoot. His eyes also
blazed. He bounded out into a little open place by the pond of
Paddy the Beaver and there he waited.
Meanwhile Sammy Jay was flying about in the greatest excitement,
screaming at the top of his lungs, "A fight! A fight! A fight!"
Blacky the Crow, over in another part of the Green Forest, heard
him and took up the cry and at once hurried over to Paddy's pond.
Everybody who was near enough hurried there. Bobby Coon and
Unc' Billy Possum climbed trees from which they could see and at
the same time be safe. Billy Mink hurried to a safe place on the
dam of Paddy the Beaver. Paddy himself climbed up on the roof of
his house out in the pond. Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare, who
happened to be not far away, hurried over where they could peep
out from under some young hemlock-trees. Buster Bear shuffled
down the hill and watched from the other side of the pond.
Reddy and Granny Fox were both there.
For what seemed like the longest time, but which was for only a
minute, Lightfoot and the big stranger stood still, glaring at
each other. Then, snorting with rage, they lowered their heads
and plunged together. Their antlers clashed with a noise that
rang through the Green Forest, and both fell to their knees.
There they pushed and struggled. Then they separated and backed
away, to repeat the movement over again. It was a terrible fight.
Everybody said so. If they had not known before, everybody
knew now what those great antlers were for. Once the big stranger
managed to reach Lightfoot's right shoulder with one of the sharp
points of his antlers and made a long tear in Lightfoot's gray
coat. It only made Lightfoot fight harder.
Sometimes they would rear up and strike with their sharp
hoofs. Back and forth they plunged, and the ground was torn up by
their feet. Both were getting out of breath, and from time to
time they had to stop for a moment's rest. Then they would come
together again more fiercely than ever. Never had such a fight
been seen in the Green Forest.