272 THE STORY OF THE TRAPPER 



the crazy grouse had run. But stop, thinks the trap 

 per, the snow-fall covered the trail. Exactly that is 

 why the little ermine dives under snow just as it would 

 under water, running along with serpentine wavings 

 of the white powdery surface till up it comes again 

 where the wind has blown the snow-fall clear. Along it 

 runs, still intent, quartering back where it loses the 

 scent along again till suddenly the head lifts that 

 motion of the snake before it strikes! The trapper 

 looks. Tail feathers, head feathers, stupid blinking 

 eyes poke through the fluffy snow-drift. And now the 

 ermine no longer runs openly. There are too many 

 victims this time it may get all the foolish hidden 

 grouse; so it dives and if the man had not alarmed the 

 stupid grouse, ermine would have darted up through 

 the snow with a finishing stab for each bird. 



By still hunt and open hunt, by nose and eye, re 

 lentless as doom, it follows its victims to the death. 

 Does the bird perch on a tree? Up goes the ermine, 

 too, on the side away from the bird s head. Does the 

 mouse thread a hundred mazes and hide in a hole? 

 The ermine threads every maze, marches into the hid 

 den nest and takes murderous possession. Does the 

 rat hide under rock? Under the rock goes the ermine. 

 Should the trapper follow to see the outcome of the 

 contest, the ermine will probably sit at the mouth of 

 the rat-hole, blinking its beady eyes at him. If he at 

 tacks, down it bolts out of reach. If he retires, out it 

 comes looking at this strange big helpless creature with 

 bold contempt. 



The keen scent, the keen eyes, the keen ears warn 

 it of an enemy s approach. Summer and winter, its 

 changing coat conceals it. The furze where it runs 



