186 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



headlands of another valley; in this dark thin brush 

 through which the trail now leads there is little pros- 

 pect of the deer stopping at this time of day; besides, 

 it is plain they are making for yonder valley, and if so 

 they will not be apt to stop at all in this stuff. 



A quarter of a mile or more the trail leads over the 

 hard dry ground of the table-land, winding through 

 the most open places of the brush, showing that the 

 deer loves good open walking for traveling purposes 

 as well as he does the thickest brush for hiding; and 

 this although the thickest brush is no obstacle to him 

 when he is a hurry. The trail is in places almost 

 invisible, but you can still keep its general course. 

 The bare hard pavement-like stony concrete shows a 

 broad line, of a trifle more bareness, if possible; the 

 little fine hard mossy substance that covers much of 

 the ground shows a broad line a trifle grayer than the 

 rest; and where streaks of softer ground are occasion- 

 ally wet a light scrape or rim of fine dust raised by a 

 sharp-edged hoof meets the eye. 



The head of the other valley is reached, and the 

 trail descends into that. This valley is at least three 

 hundred yards wide from edge to edge; the deer are 

 doubtless lying down; the wind blows up the valley; 

 there is no room for doubt as to the best place to 

 walk. 



Down into the valley you go, and find the trail wind- 

 ing into another old cattle-trail that leads down the 

 valley. For a quarter of a mile the deer have kept the 

 cattle-trail; the tracking has been easy; your nerves 

 have been on a constant strain. But now comes the tug 

 of war. The deer are leaving the cattle-trail. First 

 one of them wanders off to one side. Then another 

 leaves it; a few yards more one straggles off on the 



