86 rOEEST CEEATUKES. 



only on the men rising to advance, that he found it ne- 

 cessary to avoid the coming danger. I happened to 

 cast my eye where he stood at the very second that he 

 moved, but it was ah^eady too late. 



In order to hinder game from passing in a certain di- 

 rection, a cord with goose quills attached to it will 

 sometimes be hung from branch to branch, to scare back 

 the animals that might be inclined to pass that way. 

 As the light feathers flutter in the breeze, they act 

 as a scare-crov>^ I have watched a stag that, being dis- 

 turbed in his retreat, passed on through the wood till 

 he came to such a thing stretched across his path, and 

 have seen how, instead of bounding over or stooping 

 under it, the wily old fox walked beside it for its whole 

 length, eyeing it curiously, as though examining what 

 such an arrangement could possibly denote. Indeed, 

 when you find a stag moves thus cautiously about a 

 thicket, without emerging from it, you may be sure, 

 although you do not see him, that he is an old fellow 

 that has gained experience from the guiles of men. 



Such a one too will be found to have many a mark 

 of hoary age, distinguishing him from his younger 

 compeers. The rim of horn forming the projecting base 

 of each beam, is nearer the skull than in one whose 

 weight of years is less : this rim, too, as well as the 

 beam itself, is thicker and more marked with large bead- 

 like excrescences. The crown is large, and the white 



