154 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



And here he must learn to note the shade of color 

 in case of mere scrapes, and the smoothness and fine- 

 ness of the outlines in case of distinct impressions. 

 Where tracks are not deep they are often obliterated 

 in a few days, and this even without any rain or strong 

 wind. There is always more or less moving of ants 

 and birds over them ; there is always more or 

 less dust falling from the air, the bushes, etc., and 

 the faintest breeze stirs up more. If they do not 

 in a few days obliterate a track all these things will 

 quickly give it an appearance unmistakably old. The 

 brighter color, too, of any track on dry ground will 

 generally by one night, however dry the air may ap- 

 parently be, be restored to the color of the ground 

 around it, though the outline, if any, may yet remain 

 distinct. On the dry hills of Southern California I 

 have time and again noticed that tracks that I had 

 followed with ease, and where the imprint of the hoof 

 was perfect, were gone in four or five days, and this 

 where there were no quails trooping over the trail. 

 This same obliteration takes place there with the 

 droppings during the dry season, though this occurs 

 more slowly. They are not merely bleached out, but 

 they disappear. This will sometimes happen in a 

 fortnight or so, though more often it takes months. 

 Where there is rain they will often go sooner. But 

 color and gloss will generally determine their age 

 anywhere. 



I have confined myself in this chapter only to very 

 general hints, as nothing will supply the place of 

 practice, and practice will supply all I have omitted. 

 Without practice, and considerable of it, much success 

 in bare tracking is out of the question. It is not 

 half as hard as it is generally represented, but it is 



