DEER TRACKING. 191 

walk away on the thick, icy crust to where they choose, 
and at times scarcely leaving footprints to be seen and 
followed by the crust hunter. 
Then it is, if a fellow, early in the morning, was handy 
enough to them, we will say sitting just overhead in a scrubby 
hemlock tree (though the dear, gracious, goodness only knows 
how in the world he ever came to be there so very early on 
such a cold morning) he would plainly hear them s¢zg7zzg in 
low cheery, deery tones, yet quite a little louder and stronger 
of voice than the ‘‘singing shad,” which the old fishermen tell 
of. The young buck would take the bass now, in place of his 
father that was killed the winter before ; the mother now lead- 
ing the band, while the young buck follows in the rear of all, 
to protect his youngest sister, and is ever on the ‘* qui vive” 
for any danger, as he listens to, and follows just after his 
mother in the happy song, which is one of their very few 
wildwood harmonies. 
THE QUICKSTEP TO WINDWARD. 
Oh happy deer are we, 
Now that we are set free, 
As we up and away, 
At the first peep of day. 
To the south, o’er the hill, 
To the brook and the rill; 
Where the young maples grow, 
And the winds softly blow. 
Through the evergreens warm, 
That may hide us from harm, 
Till the sun’s brighter rays, 
Shall give the warm days. 
