They had found no trace of Lightfoot . Paddy the Beaver said that for three days Lightfoot had not visited his pond for a drink . Billy Mink , who travels up and down the Laughing Brook , had looked for Lightfoot 's footprints in the soft earth along the banks and had found only old ones . Jumper the Hare had visited Lightfoot 's favorite eating places at night , but Lightfoot had not been in any of them . `` I tell you what it is , '' said Sammy Jay to Bobby Coon , `` something has happened to Lightfoot . Either those hounds caught him and killed him , or he was shot by one of those hunters . The Green Forest will never be the same without him . I do n't think I shall want to come over here very much . There is n't one of all the other people who live in the Green Forest who would be missed as Lightfoot will be . '' Bobby Coon nodded . `` That 's true , Sammy , '' said he . `` Without Lightfoot , the Green Forest will never be the same . He never harmed anybody . Why those hunters should have been so anxious to kill one so beautiful is something I ca n't understand . For that matter , I do n't understand why they want to kill any of us . If they really needed us for food , it would be a different matter , but they do n't . Have you been up in the Old Pasture and asked Old Man Coyote if he has seen anything of Lightfoot ? '' Sammy nodded . `` I 've been up there twice , '' said he . `` Old Man Coyote has been lying very low during the days , but nights he has done a lot of traveling .
You know Old Man Coyote has a mighty good nose , but not once since the day those hounds chased Lightfoot has he found so much as a tiny whiff of XXXXX 's scent .
Brook Coon Hare Lightfoot Mink Sammy days footprints night nights