For what seemed like the longest time , but which was for only a minute , Lightfoot and the big stranger stood still , glaring at each other . Then , snorting with rage , they lowered their heads and plunged together . Their antlers clashed with a noise that rang through the Green Forest , and both fell to their knees . There they pushed and struggled . Then they separated and backed away , to repeat the movement over again . It was a terrible fight . Everybody said so . If they had not known before , everybody knew now what those great antlers were for . Once the big stranger managed to reach Lightfoot 's right shoulder with one of the sharp points of his antlers and made a long tear in Lightfoot 's gray coat . It only made Lightfoot fight harder . Sometimes they would rear up and strike with their sharp hoofs . Back and forth they plunged , and the ground was torn up by their feet . Both were getting out of breath , and from time to time they had to stop for a moment 's rest . Then they would come together again more fiercely than ever . Never had such a fight been seen in the Green Forest . CHAPTER XXXVIII : An Unseen Watcher As Lightfoot the Deer and the big stranger from the Great Mountain fought in the little opening near the pond of Paddy the Beaver , neither knew or cared who saw them . Each was filled fully with rage and determined to drive the other from the Green Forest . Each was fighting for the right to win the love of Miss Daintyfoot . Neither of them knew that Miss Daintyfoot herself was watching them . But she was .
She had heard the clash of their great XXXXX as they had come together the first time , and she had known exactly what it meant .
Daintyfoot Forest Lightfoot Mountain Paddy antlers feet fight minute right