The Snow- Walkers. 93 



in December, with the ground snow-covered. 

 The heavy blurred tracks of grouse were at first 

 difficult to determine, and the key to them was 

 only to be found in the birds themselves, as they 

 rose with a startling whirr. They had been driven 

 from the higher to the lower ground in search of 

 food. One of the terriers disintered a spiny hedge- 

 hog from its warm, leafy retreat, and " Prickles " 

 probably felt much mystified to find himself in a 

 world of dazzling whiteness. 



There was one other track which it would be 

 long and devious to follow one which had been 

 abroad under the moon and stars, and from its 

 trail would seem to have known the ways and 

 the haunts of both furred and feathered game 

 by heart and that was the old poacher. The 

 snow is a great tell-tale, but it causes the 

 poacher's eye to grow keen and his step firm ; 

 and nothing but the gaol walls will prevent his 

 being a snow-walker. His life has been one 

 long protest against the game laws ; and what- 

 ever he is, or is not, he believes them to be 

 unjust. 



