64 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



as help you direct your steps to the most proper places 

 to search for what they are. Few things so perplex 

 the beginner and make him go wandering so aimlessly 

 about the woods, expecting to see deer every minute 

 yet ever fretting with disappointment, as exaggerated 

 notions of the quantity of deer around him. 



Here you see where the buck has gone down the 

 side of the ridge we are on and across the flat below. 

 He has doubtless crossed the next ridge. Although 

 it is generally not worth while to track an old buck 

 at this time of year, especially when the ground is 

 bare a thing almost impossible where tracks are so 

 numerous as they are here yet at this time of the 

 morning fresh tracks are an excellent guide, and it is 

 often best to take a look in the direction in which 

 they have gone. Remember what I told you about 

 the quantity of deer. You will see the expediency of 

 doing this instead of roaming idly off in any direction. 



In moving across this flat between this and the next 

 ridge you may now go quite fast. But be still cau- 

 tious about noise. And above all things tread on no 

 dead sticks. 



Here, you see, is the track again where the buck 

 has gone up the next ridge. But it turns off and goes 

 toward the neck of land that joins this ridge to the 

 one we just left. No matter, though ; he may have 

 turned again. Now look over the ridge just as keenly 

 as if you knew he were in the next hollow. 



Slowly now ! very slowly ! For your head is about 

 to rise over the crest of the ridge and come in plain 

 sight of everything on the next ridge beyond and in 

 the hollow between. Drop your gun, too, from your 

 shoulder. 



Here are two important points, the neglect of 



