Grayskin made no comment, but stood quietly and drank in the strong, piney air.

“Have you anything more to show me, or have I now seen the whole forest?” he asked.

Then Karr went with him to a big marsh, and showed him clods and quagmire.

“Over this marsh the elk take flight when they are in peril,” said Karr.  “I don’t know how they manage it, but, large and heavy as they are, they can walk here without sinking.  Of course you couldn’t hold yourself up on such dangerous ground, but then there is no occasion for you to do so, for you will never be hounded by hunters.”

Grayskin made no retort, but with a leap he was out on the marsh, and happy when he felt how the clods rocked under him.  He dashed across the marsh, and came back again to Karr, without having stepped into a mudhole.

“Have we seen the whole forest now?” he asked.

“No, not yet,” said Karr.

He next conducted the elk to the skirt of the forest, where fine oaks, lindens, and aspens grew.

“Here your kind eat leaves and bark, which they consider the choicest of food; but you will probably get better fare abroad.”

Grayskin was astonished when he saw the enormous leaf-trees spreading like a great canopy above him.  He ate both oak leaves and aspen bark.

“These taste deliciously bitter and good!” he remarked.  “Better than clover!”

“Then wasn’t it well that you should taste them once?” said the dog.

Thereupon he took the elk down to a little forest lake.  The water was as smooth as a mirror, and reflected the shores, which were veiled in thin, light mists.  When Grayskin saw the lake he stood entranced.

“What is this, Karr?” he asked.

It was the first time that he had seen a lake.

“It’s a large body of water—­a lake,” said Karr.  “Your people swim across it from shore to shore.  One could hardly expect you to be familiar with this; but at least you should go in and take a swim!”

Karr, himself, plunged into the water for a swim.  Grayskin stayed back on the shore for some little time, but finally followed.  He grew breathless with delight as the cool water stole soothingly around his body.  He wanted it over his back, too, so went farther out.  Then he felt that the water could hold him up, and began to swim.  He swam all around Karr, ducking and snorting, perfectly at home in the water.

When they were on shore again, the dog asked if they had not better go home now.

“It’s a long time until morning,” observed Grayskin, “so we can tramp around in the forest a little longer.”

They went again into the pine wood.  Presently they came to an open glade illuminated by the moonlight, where grass and flowers shimmered beneath the dew.  Some large animals were grazing on this forest meadow—­an elk bull, several elk cows and a number of elk calves.  When Grayskin caught sight of them he stopped short.  He hardly glanced at the cows or the young ones, but stared at the old bull, which had broad antlers with many taglets, a high hump, and a long-haired fur piece hanging down from his throat.