216 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



you can bring head and shoulders in sight of a deer 

 with safety except by being so extremely slow that no 

 motion is apparent. Of course a deer will not always 

 run or even always see you if you bring yourself too 

 quickly in his eye-range. But the greater number of 

 deer will both see you and run. And even where they 

 are exceedingly tame you will be constantly losing 

 shot by it. That last deer was tame enough. He 

 stood on the outer edge of the chapparal in plain view 

 until you walked out several feet in his field of vision. 



But let us stroll along. It is all easy walking enough, 

 but if you keep this trail of the wild cattle it will be 

 still more easy and quiet. 



A stroll of half a mile or so along the smooth, easy 

 path brings us to a sudden halt. Something far ahead 

 under a tree looks like an inverted V, long, tapering, 

 and dark. Watch it carefully for a minute or two. 

 It suddenly begins to grow gradually wider at the 

 bottom and splits at the top until in a moment there 

 are two V's both inverted and about two feet above 

 the ground. Most marvelous resemblance to a pair 

 of ears. 



No. Don't raise your head another inch. What 

 but an animal turning its head a little could have 

 made that motion ? The shape alone without any 

 motion should satisfy you. 



And now how to get a nearer interview with the 

 owner of those ears ? It will not be safe to approach 

 over such level ground as that which lies between you. 

 Nor are the trees plenty enough to stalk behind. And 

 if they were, it would be an unsafe way to approach a 

 deer having his head up. But there is a point project- 

 ing into the valley about eighty yards from them. 

 Back out of where you are, slip into this little gulch 



