Produced by Joseph R. Hauser, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: Wonderfully handsome was Lightfoot the Deer.] LIGHTFOOT THE DEER BY THORNTON W. BURGESS _With Illustrations by_ _HARRISON CADY_ GROSSET & DUNLAP Publishers New York _Printed by arrangement with Little, Brown, and Company_ COPYRIGHT 1921 BY THORNTON W. BURGESS ISBN: 0-448-02741-0 (TRADE EDITION) ISBN: 0-448-13721-6 (LIBRARY EDITION) PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY ARRANGEMENT WITH LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Dedication TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF OUR FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS IN THE GREEN FOREST WITH THE HOPE THAT THIS LITTLE VOLUME MAY IN SOME DEGREE AID IN THE PROTECTION OF THE INNOCENT AND HELPLESS CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I PETER RABBIT MEETS LIGHTFOOT 1 II LIGHTFOOT'S NEW ANTLERS 8 III LIGHTFOOT TELLS HOW HIS ANTLERS GREW 15 IV THE SPIRIT OF FEAR 22 V SAMMY JAY BRINGS LIGHTFOOT WORD 29 VI A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK 34 VII THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HELP LIGHTFOOT 39 VIII WIT AGAINST WIT 44 IX LIGHTFOOT BECOMES UNCERTAIN 49 X LIGHTFOOT'S CLEVER TRICK 53 XI THE HUNTED WATCHES THE HUNTER 58 XII LIGHTFOOT VISITS PADDY THE BEAVER 63 XIII LIGHTFOOT AND PADDY BECOME PARTNERS 68 XIV HOW PADDY WARNED LIGHTFOOT 73 XV THE THREE WATCHERS 78 XVI VISITORS TO PADDY'S POND 83 XVII SAMMY JAY ARRIVES 88 XVIII THE HUNTER LOSES HIS TEMPER 93 XIX SAMMY JAY IS MODEST 97 XX LIGHTFOOT HEARS A DREADFUL SOUND 102 XXI HOW LIGHTFOOT GOT RID OF THE HOUNDS 107 XXII LIGHTFOOT'S LONG SWIM 111 XXIII LIGHTFOOT FINDS A FRIEND 116 XXIV THE HUNTER IS DISAPPOINTED 121 XXV THE HUNTER LIES IN WAIT 126 XXVI LIGHTFOOT DOES THE WISE THING 131 XXVII SAMMY JAY WORRIES 136 XXVIII THE HUNTING SEASON ENDS 141 XXIX MR. AND MRS. QUACK ARE STARTLED 146 XXX THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED 151 XXXI A SURPRISING DISCOVERY 156 XXXII LIGHTFOOT SEES THE STRANGER 161 XXXIII A DIFFERENT GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK 165 XXXIV A STARTLING NEW FOOTPRINT 170 XXXV LIGHTFOOT IS RECKLESS 175 XXXVI SAMMY JAY TAKES A HAND 180 XXXVII THE GREAT FIGHT 185