ock-absorbers, the ball of the foot and the bend of the knee, and so
is quite a different method of locomotion from the ordinary heel-jarring
stride. Also it is much faster than it looks. And so the boy moved
easily and silently, his moccasined feet automatically avoiding sticks
and loose stones.

He did not hurry. Now and then he stopped, his eyes keen as a young
hawk's fixed on some ill-defined object, and he remained absolutely
motionless until it defined itself to his gaze. Occasionally he
inspected the soft ground, but though he saw many impressions of the
hoofs of deer he paid little attention to them. He followed the only
practical method of still-hunting, prowling along quietly and
watchfully.

But luck seemed against him. Twice, in spite of his care, he heard the
thumping beat which told that deer, alarmed, were making a get-away, but
he did not see them. Being pardonably proud of his eyes and his ability
to move quietly, the boy was disgusted. Noon came and he had no meat. He
sat down by a spring which gushed cold from the base of a hill, and ate
his bread and meat and two doughnuts. Of the latter four remained. These
he saved against an emergency, and stretching himself on a patch of
yellow, sun-dried grass went to sleep like a young dog.

In an hour he awoke, stretched himself, drank from the spring and
circling toward the mountain began to work back toward his pony. He had
covered perhaps half the return distance when he came suddenly upon a
young buck. At the same time the buck caught sight of him and set sail
for the protection of thick brush.

Though taken by surprise, the boy was unflurried. He planted his feet
solidly, swung his rifle swiftly but without hurry, caught the leaping
form fair with the bead and squeezed the trigger. A second time the
rifle rapped on the heels of its own echo, and the buck pitched forward
sprawling, the stiffening gone from his slim limbs which kicked
convulsively.

But instead of running forward eagerly, the boy scarcely shifted his
position as he pumped another cartridge into place. As the deer did not
rise he fed two fresh shells to the magazine methodically. There was no
youthful triumph in his face. Instead it showed a certain
dissatisfaction.

"Ought to have downed him first shot," he muttered, and went forward. He
turned the deer over finding that the first bullet had stuck too far
back. Laying the rifle aside he stuck the animal and proceeded to dress
him. C