ON WILD LIFE TRAILS 121 
cause they need to do so, or for the fun of it. 
Deer shift for miles from a summer to a win- 
ter range, travelling a regular migration route. 
A number of enemy wolves may follow this 
moving food supply. Beavers may be seek- 
ing a home in new scenes and a bear may be off 
on an adventure. 
Wild life trails were worn by generation after 
generation of wild animals using the same 
route, the line of least resistance long followed 
from one territory to another. Trampling feet 
assisted by wind and water maintained a plain 
trail. Indian trails often were wild life trails. 
Stretches of buffalo trails on the plains and bear 
trails in Alaska were abandoned because so 
deeply worn and washed. 
From a low cliff by a mountain stream I 
watched the wild life along the trail on the 
other side of the stream. The cafion was 
wooded but the trail immediately opposite was 
in the open. 
Two packs of wolves met on the trail across 
the river. The leaders rushed to grips and a 
general mix-up was on. But this was sur- 
prisingly brief. There was an outburst of 
snarling and the gangs passed with but little 
loss of time and with but one limping. 
Often as these travellers passed out of sight 
after a meeting I wondered what and when 
