DON COYOTE 147 



fellow over the sandy dunes, watching where he 

 goes, now in a straight course, now running out 

 of his way to smell down some rat hole, then 

 again going with an aimless gait on and on over 

 the sands until again arrested by some silly 

 curiosity. The position of the track-marks 

 made on these unhurried excursions often shows 

 that he runs somewhat sidewise, as is common 

 with little dogs, to prevent his feet from hit- 

 ting. When you see where he has been on the 

 swift chase, signs of this peculiar gait are not 

 apparent. 



Sometimes when hunger drives him to it the 

 coyote is out and on the hunt during the day, 

 and occasionally then you will get a good look 

 at him and see him chasing his game. The 

 larger animals like the rabbits he obtains by 

 running them down in the open where there is 

 little chance for them to elude him. What mice 

 and wood rats are not obtainable on the chase 

 are dug from their holes and gobbled up before 

 they have time to escape. The coyote's meddle- 

 some nose leads him to many a clutch of quail's 

 eggs, and he leaves nothing to tell of his visit 

 but broken shells and a yolk-stained nest. 



