Many deer die every winter; some are winter-killed; many are
devoured by beasts of prey, or killed by hunters; their numbers
are at low ebb in April, so that now one could not count on
finding a deer by roaming at random. It was a case for trailing.
Any one can track a deer in the snow. It is not very hard to
follow a deer in soft ground, when there are no other deer about.
But it is very hard to take one deer trail and follow it over
rocky ground and dead leaves, never losing it or changing off,
when there are hundreds of deer tracks running in all directions.
Rolf's eyes were better than Quonab's, but experience counts for
as much as eyes, and Quonab was leading. They picked out a big
buck track that was fresh -- no good hunter kills a doe at this
season. They knew it for a buck, because of its size and the
roundness of the toes.
Before long, Rolf said: "See, Quonab, I want to learn this
business; let me do the trailing, and you set me right if I get
off the line."
Within a hundred yards, Quonab gave a grunt and shook his head.
Rolf looked surprised, for he was on a good, fresh track.
Quonab said but one word, "Doe.
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