CHAPTER XV : The Three Watchers When Paddy the Beaver slapped the water with his broad tail , making a noise like a pistol shot , Lightfoot understood that this was meant as a warning of danger . He was on his feet instantly , with eyes , ears and nose seeking the cause of Paddy 's warning . After a moment or two he stole softly up to the top of a little ridge some distance back from Paddy 's pond , but from the top of which he could see the whole of the pond . There he hid among some close-growing young hemlock-trees . It was n't long before he saw a hunter with a terrible gun come down to the shore of the pond . Now the hunter had heard Paddy slap the water with his broad tail . Of course . There would have been something very wrong with his ears had he failed to hear it . `` Confound that Beaver ! '' muttered the hunter crossly . `` If there was a Deer anywhere around this pond , he probably is on his way now . I 'll have a look around and see if there are any signs . '' So the hunter went on to the edge of Paddy 's pond and then began to walk around it , studying the ground as he walked . Presently he found the footprints of Lightfoot in the mud where Lightfoot had gone down to the pond to drink . `` I thought as much , '' muttered the hunter . `` Those tracks were made last night . That Deer probably was lying down somewhere near here , and I might have had a shot but for that pesky Beaver . I 'll just look the land over , and then I think I 'll wait here awhile . If that Deer is n't too badly scared , he may come back . '' So the hunter went quite around the pond , looking into all likely hiding-places .
He found where Lightfoot had been lying , and he knew that in all probability Lightfoot had been there when XXXXX gave the danger signal .
Beaver Lightfoot Paddy XV hemlock-trees hiding-places night shot something warning