In this case it was a bear's register, but before long Quonab
showed Rolf a place where two long logs joined at an angle by a
tree that was rubbed and smelly, and showed a few marten hairs,
indicating that this was the sign post of a marten and a good
place to make a deadfall.
Yet a third was found in an open, grassy glade, a large, white
stone on which were pellets left by foxes. The Indian explained:
"Every fox that travels near will come and smell the stone to see
who of his kind is around, so this is a good place for a
fox-trap; a steel trap, of course, for no fox will go into a
deadfall."
And slowly Rolf learned that these habits are seen in some
measure in all animals; yes, down to the mice and shrews. We see
little of it because our senses are blunt and our attention
untrained; but the naturalist and the hunter always know where to
look for the four-footed inhabitants and by them can tell whether
or not the land is possessed by such and such a furtive tribe.
Chapter 23. The Beaver Pond
AT THE noon halt they were about ten miles from home and had made
fifteen deadfalls for marten, for practice was greatly reducing
the time needed for each.
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