"Oh, yes," said Bertha, "I look forward with pleasure to the little calves, there is something so pretty and confiding in a creature that one has brought up oneself, and so made familiar to one; hitherto we have had no living thing upon the farm, except the chickens, which Mr. Wolfgang was kind enough to bring with him."
Again, that name! Normann drew a deep breath, and looked up anxiously to his comrade, as though he would remind him of the promised assistance.
"Oh, yes," continued Turner, without taking any notice of this movement; "I am very fond of tame animals myself; formerly, for instance, I once brought up a young bear, and I must confess that it pained me very much when I had to part with him afterwards, when he grew too big."
"Bears are dangerous animals--are they not?" asked Louisa.
"Bears! oh, no!" said Turner, as he brought his right knee over the left one, and clasped it there with both hands--"oh, no, not to mankind, but very much so to young game; they persecute young deer a good deal."
Normann looked across at Turner, in amazement, for he knew very well that what he was stating was a falsehood, and consequently that he must have some object in it. Turner, however, retained his former attitude, and looked straight before him.
"It is a melancholy reflexion," said Bertha, after a short pause, "how, among animals, one is always seeking the destruction of others; mankind must have learnt it from them. The poor little deer-calf, how frightened it must be when it sees such a formidable enemy approaching!"
"Oh, that enemy, notwithstanding its strength, is the least dangerous!" said Turner, with a smile; "his attack is, at least, straightforward and open; but the poor little creature has much worse enemies, who better know how to employ cunning to get it into their power, and are thereby more formidable and less easily avoided; these last are, especially, the panther and the wolf. Indeed, everything nearly persecutes the young deer:--wild cats, ferrets, even eagles and carrion-vultures pounce down on them, kill them, and eat them on the spot."
"Oh, that is dreadful!" exclaimed Louisa; "but why doesn't the dam hide them better?"
Normann got up, and walked uneasily towards the door; Turner cast a smiling look after him, and continued:--"So she does; and it is seldom that the buzzards, especially, can find out such a little creature, yet it does sometimes occur--I had an example to-day."