Little Eagle stopped. In some way his movements must be carrying a warning to the deer. However, while Little Eagle remained motionless, the stag continued to sniff. Suddenly he snorted and bounded high into the air. While Little Eagle watched helplessly, the whole herd raced away. In a moment he saw the cause of the deer’s alarm. Two big gray wolves dashed out of their hiding place toward the nearest doe. Both wolves sprang, but both missed, and the deer were gone.
Little Eagle was so angry that he brought the bow up and took aim at one of the wolves. Before he let the arrow fly, he remembered that it was one of Angry Wolf’s good hunting arrows. If he missed the wolf, or merely wounded it, the arrow would be lost. Reluctantly he lowered the bow.
There would be no chance to stalk those fleeing deer. Little Eagle knew the stag might lead his herd for miles before he allowed them to stop and graze again. When he saw the wolves slink off to the right, Little Eagle turned to his left.
He continued until the sun was straight overhead without finding another herd of deer. Disappointedly, he turned back toward the creek. This was too far for him to carry a deer if he managed to get one. Besides, he didn’t like to stay away from Angry Wolf so long. Angry Wolf was better, but he was still far from well.
Twice on the journey back to the creek, Little Eagle saw small herds of deer. Each time the wind was blowing from him toward them. They caught his scent and dashed away long before he was within bowshot of them.
Little Eagle reached the creek at a place far downstream from where he had crossed before. He turned to follow the bank to the place where he had crossed. He had covered about half of the distance when he saw a stag and two does grazing near the creek. The deer were in a small, grassy glade. They were so far from the trees that it didn’t seem possible for Little Eagle to get close enough to them. Still he didn’t want to give up without trying.
He tested the wind again. Before he started toward the deer, Little Eagle worked his way to a point where the wind was blowing from them to him. From the cover of the trees nearest the deer, Little Eagle measured the distance with his eye. It was too far for a bowshot. He would have to try to reach the clump of shrubs between him and the deer.
The deer continued to graze while Little Eagle crawled toward them. He reached the clump of shrubs without alarming the game. He was still a long bowshot from the deer, but as there was no more cover between him and them, he had to risk a shot from where he was.
As Little Eagle slowly raised his bow, the stag lifted his head and sniffed suspiciously. Little Eagle took careful aim at the nearest doe. He pulled the bowstring back with all of his strength. At the instant Little Eagle released the arrow, the stag snorted and gave a tremendous leap. Before the doe could heed the warning, the arrow struck her. The doe crumpled to the ground. Little Eagle gave a low cry of triumph. Here was food to last several days.
Dressing the deer was slow work. It had looked easy when Little Eagle had watched a warrior do it. He found it wasn’t nearly so easy as it had looked. He could have skinned the deer more quickly if he hadn’t been so careful not to cut a hole in the hide. This was the first deer he had ever shot. He had been told that if a hunter removed the hide from the first deer or buffalo he shot without cutting a hole in it, he would always be a successful hunter.