THE hunter's LOEE. 11 



more game than he killed. The American, or Indian 

 hunter, treads with the stealthy step of a panther. 

 His eyes are around him, penetrating the thickets in 

 search of the twitch of a tail or ear as a fly is driven 

 away, or catching the sparkle of an eye as his game 

 peers through the foliage. The ground is eagerly 

 scanned for ' sign ' as to what game has passed that 

 way, and how long since. The bruised twigs of a bush 

 tell him plainly enough that not long ago some lordly 

 buck rubbed the velvet from his newly-developed 

 antlers. Beneath a large tree are some ' turkey 

 scratch ings,' and other signs, in which a tiro would 

 discern no difference, but the keen-sighted wood- 

 ranger knows as well as if he had seen the animals, 

 that a few hours ago a couple of the fierce Texan 

 boars passed beneath that live oak tree. 



Nor are the ears less diligently trained than the 

 eyes. The hunter must mark with exactness the 

 various sounds heard in the forest. He must be able 

 to distinguish the fall of an acorn on the withered 

 leaves from the jump of the squirrel that shook the 

 nut from its husk, even though those sounds should 

 proceed from a distance of a hundred yards. 



Not only must he thus hnow the sounds of the 

 forest ; but, in order to be a successful hunter, he must 

 be able to imitate them artistically. He must call 

 upon his ' turkey-caller ' in the spring with skill 

 enough to lure the cunning old turkey-cock to his 



