322 THE FUR TRADE OF AMERICA 



leaves its mark in the fluffy snow. A ravenous fellow he always is, 

 this white fox of the hungry North, bold from ignorance of man, 

 but hard to distinguish from the snow because of his spotless coat. 

 The blue fox being slightly smaller than the full-grown Arctic, 

 lopes along with shorter leaps, by which the trapper may know the 

 quarry ; but the blue fox is just as hard to distinguish from the 

 snow as his white brother. The gray frost haze is almost the same 

 shade as his steel-blue coat ; and when spring comes, blue fox is the 

 same color as the tawny moss growth. Color is blue fox's de- 

 fence. Consequently blue foxes show more signs of age than white 



— stubby ears frozen low, battle-worn teeth, dulled claws. 



The chances are that the trapper will see the black fox himself 

 almost as soon as he sees his tracks ; for the sheeny coat that is 

 black fox's beauty betrays him above the snow. Bushy tail stand- 

 ing straight out, every black hair bristling erect with life, the white 

 tail-tip flaunting a defiance, head up, ears alert, fore feet cleaving 

 the air with the swift ease of some airy bird — on he comes, jump 



— jump — jump — more of a leap than a lope, galloping like a 

 wolf, altogether different from the skulking run of little foxes, 

 openly exulting in his beauty and his strength and his speed ! There 

 is no mistaking black fox. If the trapper does not see the black fox 

 scurrying over the snow, the telltale characteristics] of the foot- 

 prints are the length and strength of the leaps. Across these leaps 

 the hunter leaves his traps. Does he hope for a silver fox ? Does 

 every prospector expect to find gold nuggets ? In the heyday 

 of fur company prosperity, not half a dozen true silver foxes would 

 be sent out in a year. But good white fox and black and blue are 

 prizes enough in themselves, netting as much to the trapper as mink 

 or beaver or sable. 



II 



The White Ermine 



All that was said of the mystery of fox life applies equally to 

 ermine. Why is the ermine of Wisconsin and Minnesota and 





