HUNTING THE SNOW 



If, however, the early snows are not ideal, 

 ,wait until over an old crusted snow there falls a i 

 layer about an inch deep. This may prove even bet-^ ^ 

 ter hunting, for by this time in the winter the ani-< 

 ^..Jmals and birds are quite used to snow-walking, and 

 .besides, their stores of food are now running short, 



* compelling them to venture forth whether or not 

 they wish to go. 



It was early in December that our first hunting-, 

 snow came last year. We were ready for it, waiting 

 for it, and when the winter sun broke over the ridge, 

 we started the hunt at the hen-yard gate, where we 



4 



saw tracks in the thin, new snow 

 that led us up the ridge, and along 

 its narrow back, to a hollow stump. 

 Here the hunt began in earnest ; 

 'for not until that trail of close, 

 double, nail-pointed prints went 

 under the stump were the four small boys convinced 

 that we were tracking a skunk and not a cat. 



The creature had moved leisurely that you could 

 tell by the closeness of the prints. Wide-apart track 



