d which appeared everywhere. Some weeks later the doe
reappeared, accompanied by a wobbly, long-legged fawn, its dappled coat
giving the effect of sunlight sifting through a leafy screen of
branches. At times the herd could be found together, but more often
Brown Brother and the orphan wandered off, each by himself.

That summer Brown Brother grew his first antlers. Mere prongs they were,
but the deer felt very proud of them as he carefully rubbed off the
velvet. He often visited alone the gardens of the farmers at the edge of
the wilderness. Sometimes in the dark hours before the dawn he went
close to the cabin of the Hermit, drawn, it seemed, simply by curiosity.
Occasionally at his harvesting in the forest the Hermit would look up to
find himself regarded by a pair of great brown eyes. At such times he
would assume his old position, standing perfectly still with
outstretched hand, his eyes narrowed to mere slits lest they make the
wild thing uneasy.

The animal, also, would stand immovable for a moment; then training
would conquer curiosity and, with a snort of fear, he would bound
gracefully away, his white flag gleaming occasionally between the trees
until the animal was lost to sight. One day the Hermit left a lump of
sugar upon the log beside which he had been standing and, secreting
himself at a safe distance, waited. As he had hoped, the deer returned,
eagerly licked up the sweet morsel and nosed about for more. After that
the Hermit made it a practice, upon sighting the deer, to leave a bit of
salt or sugar in a conspicuous place. The animal would invariably return
to it. And so the Hermit was content to have their friendship rest,
never attempting to force himself upon the wary but courageous animal.

The summer that Brown Brother attained his first full set of antlers a
forest fire devastated a great section of the wilderness to the
northward. The animals fled in terror before it, lynx and deer, fox and
rabbit, side by side, all personal feuds forgotten in the great common
danger. Many perished, overtaken by the flames which, fanned by a brisk
wind from the north, traveled with lightning-like rapidity. It had been
weeks since rain had fallen upon the forest and the underbrush was like
tinder. Great trees became in an instant towers of flame as the fire
roared onward like a living thing. The animals, their fur singed by
sparks and their eyes red and smarting with smoke, sought the water
holes, the strong sh