34 The Amateur Poacher 



yards away. The distance was too great to risk a 

 shot, or rather it was preferable to wait for the chance 

 of his coming nearer. Stepping back gently behind 

 the bushes, I watched him run to and fro, gradually 

 approaching in a zig-zag line that must carry him right 

 across in front. I was positive that he had not seen 

 me, and felt sure of bagging him ; when suddenly — 

 without any apparent cause — up went his head, he 

 glanced round, and was off like the wind. 



Yet there had not been the faintest noise, and I 

 could not understand it, till all at once it occurred 

 to me that it must be the scent. The slight, scarcely 

 perceptible, breeze blew in that direction : instantly 

 he crossed the current from me he detected it and 

 fled. Afterwards I noticed that in the dusky twilight, 

 if the wind is behind him, a hare will run straight at 

 you as if about to deliberately charge your legs. This 

 incident by the ploughed field explained the failure of 

 the wire. Every other care had been taken, but we 

 had forgotten to allow for the extreme delicacy of 

 a wild animal's sense of smell. 



In walking to the spot selected for the snare it 

 is best to avoid even stepping on the run, and while 

 setting it up to stand back as far as convenient and 

 lean forward. The grass that grows near must not 

 be touched by the hand, which seems to impart a 



