d and they can be run down in no time. There's a deal of
poaching goes on now when a yard is discovered near a lumber camp. It's
just plain murder and nothing less. I've known a whole family of moose,
bull, cow, yearling and calf, to be wiped out in one day by a
bloody-minded game-hog. Didn't even waste a shot on the calf, but ran it
down and cut its throat. Red Pete, the brute Walt helped to put in the
pen the first year he came up here, used to make a business of locating
deer yards and keeping lumber camps supplied with fresh meat all winter.
The poor critters haven't even a running chance for their lives."

"Oi hope we'll be able to lamp some. Oi wud loike to put me peepers on a
real live wild deer before we go home," said Sparrer, his eyes shining
with suppressed excitement.

"I guess I can promise you that, my son," replied Pat. "We'll separate
here. Sparrer and I will work off to leeward, Hal will keep straight
ahead and Walt will swing to windward. If you two start any they will
work over to us and give Sparrer a chance to see em. Yell if you start
any. I reckon you'll find 'em pretty tame. They haven't been bothered
here and they know as well as we do that the law protects 'em now. Watch
for fresh sign and follow it up."

They separated as suggested, Hal and Walter moving slowly so as to give
Pat and Sparrer time to gain a good position. Walter swung well to the
windward side. Of course this meant that his chances of getting a close
view of any deer which might be on his side of the yard were
comparatively slim. They would wind him and at once move on. He was in
effect a driver for the others. But he didn't mind this. Wild deer were
no new sight to him, and he was only too anxious to give Sparrer the
pleasure which he knew a glimpse of Peaked-toes in the freedom of his
native woods would be.

He chose what appeared to be one of the most used paths and followed
this as quietly as he could. He soon found that still hunting on
snow-shoes and with moccasined feet on bare ground were two very
different matters. He was not yet sufficiently adept on the big webs to
keep them from clacking as the rim of one shoe passed over the rim of
the other. The harder he tried not to the more noise he made, it seemed.
Clack, clack, clack. It was most annoying. He stopped to consider. Then
on the impulse of a sudden idea he slipped his shoes off and dropped
down into the path he had been following. Here he could walk without
no