382 The Book of Woodcraft 



I saw his fresh tracks. Later, I saw these had Joined on 

 to the fresh tracks of another rabbit. I sketched all the 

 salient points and noted how my big jack had followed 

 the other. They had dodged about here and there, and 

 then one had overtaken the other, and the meeting had 

 been the reverse of unfriendly. I give the record that 

 I sketched out there in the snow. I may be wrong, but 

 I argue from this that the life of the hardy jack was not 

 without its pleasures. (Illustration 9.) 



FOX 



Of more general interest perhaps is the track of the fox. 



I have spent many days — yes, and nights — on the 

 trail, following, following patiently, reading this life of the 

 beast, using notebook at every important march and 

 change. Many an odd new sign has turned up to be put 

 on record and explained by later experience. Many a 

 day has passed with noticing tangible in the way of reward; 

 then, as in aU hunting, there has come a streak of luck, 

 a shower of facts and abundant reward for the barren 

 weeks gone by, an insight into animal ways and mind 

 that could not have been obtained in any other way. 

 For here it is written down by the animal itself in the 

 oldest of all writing — a chapter of the creature's normal 

 life. 



One day, soon after the snow had come, I set out on one 

 of the long decipherments. The day before I had followed 

 a fox-trail for three or four miles, to learn only that he 

 tacked up wind and smelt at every log, bump, and tree 

 that stuck through the snow; that he had followed a 

 white hare at full speed, but was easily left behind when 

 the hare got into his ancient safety — the scrubby, brushy 

 woods. 



