It is doubtful which was the more surprised , Lightfoot or the man . Right then and there Lightfoot gave up in despair . He could n't run . It was all he could do to walk . The long chase by the hounds on the other side of the Big River and the long swim across the Big River had taken all his strength . Not a spark of hope remained to Lightfoot . He simply stood still and trembled , partly with fear and partly with weariness . Then a surprising thing happened . The man spoke softly . He advanced , not threateningly but slowly , and in a friendly way . He walked around back of Lightfoot and then straight towards him . Lightfoot walked on a few steps , and the man followed , still talking softly . Little by little he urged Lightfoot on , driving him towards an open shed in which was a pile of hay . Without understanding just how , Lightfoot knew that he had found a friend . So he entered the open shed and with a long sigh lay down in the soft hay . CHAPTER XXIV : The Hunter Is Disappointed How he knew he was safe , Lightfoot the Deer Could n't have told you . He just knew it , that was all . He could n't understand a word said by the man in whose yard he found himself when he climbed the bank after his long swim across the Big River . But he did n't have to understand words to know that he had found a friend . So he allowed the man to drive him gently over to an open shed where there was a pile of soft hay and there he lay down , so tired that it seemed to him he could n't move another step .
It was only a few minutes later that the hunter who had followed XXXXX across the River reached the bank and scrambled out of his boat .
CHAPTER How Lightfoot Right River XXIV chase sigh strength weariness