146 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



however, no such thing, but simply careless writers 

 who allow their admiration of the Indian to run away 

 with their pens. But the effect of all such stuff is 

 bad. It deters from attempting tracking many a one 

 who might easily attain, not great skill, but enough 

 for good sport. 



There may be a hereditary tendency in the Indian 

 which makes it more easy for him to learn tracking; 

 but he has also vastly more practice. And herein 

 lies the main secret perfect sight and practice, prac- 

 tice, practice. And with practice the average white 

 man is fully equal to the average Indian. There will 

 be a difference in individuals just as there is in the 

 knack or facility of doing anything, and consequently 

 some Indians will excel some white men. But if the 

 average Indian excels the average white man, it is in 

 what he will do and not in what he can do. He will 

 run all day with nothing to eat, keeping a dog-trot 

 nearly all the time for a single deer. The white man 

 has more regard for the day of reckoning, and will 

 rarely throw away his health or prematurely use up 

 his strength for such a paltry reward as a deer. And 

 just so the Indian will cling to a trail and even- 

 tually secure the game when the white man would 

 give it up as involving more patience or work than 

 the game was worth. The Indian hunts for food; 

 when he sets out for it he is bound to have it, and he 

 will continue the chase as long as daylight allows him. 

 Here he undoubtedly excels. And, so far as I am con- 

 cerned, he is triply welcome to all the glory of this 

 superiority. 



Tracking on bare ground is, however, very often diffi- 

 cult, and is never any loo easy. On some kinds of ground 

 it is impossible for either white man or Indian to track 



