ew minutes ahead. Now, they must
use every precaution for this was the crux of the hunt. Of this much
only they were sure--the deer was within range now, and to get him they
must see him before he saw them.

Skookum was leashed. Rolf was allowed to get well ahead, and crawling
cautiously, a step at a time, he went, setting down his moccasined foot
only after he had tried and selected a place. Once or twice he threw
into the air a tuft of dry grass to make sure that the wind was right,
and by slow degrees he reached the edge of a little opening.

Across this he peered long, without entering it. Then he made a sweep
with his hand and pointed, to let Quonab know the buck had gone across
and he himself must go around. But he lingered still and with his eyes
swept the near woods. Then, dim gray among the gray twigs, he saw a
slight movement, so slight it might have been made by the tail of a
tomtit. But it fixed his attention, and out of this gray haze he slowly
made out the outline of a deer's head, antlers, and neck. A hundred
yards away, but "take a chance when it comes" is hunter wisdom. Rolf
glanced at the sight, took steady aim, fired, and down went the buck
behind a log. Skookum whined and leaped high in his eagerness to see.
Rolf restrained his impatience to rush forward, at once reloaded, then
all three went quickly to the place. Before they were within fifty
yards, the deer leaped up and bounded off. At seventy-five yards, it
stood for a moment to gaze. Rolf fired again; again the buck fell down,
but jumped to its feet and bounded away.

They went to the two places, but found no blood. Utterly puzzled, they
gave it up for the day, as already the shades of night were on the
woods, and in spite of Skookum's voluble offer to solve and settle
everything, they returned to the cabin.

"What do you make of it, Quonab?'

The Indian shook his head, then: "Maybe touched his head and stunned
him, first shot; second, wah! I not know."

"I know this," said Rolf. "I touched him and I mean to get him in the
morning."

True to this resolve, he was there again at dawn, but examined the place
in vain for a sign of blood. The red rarely shows up much on leaves,
grass, or dust; but there are two kinds of places that the hunter can
rely on as telltales--stones and logs. Rolf followed the deer track, now
very dim, till at a bare place he found a speck of blood on a pebble.
Here the trail joined onto a deer path, with so many tra