Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1912 — WINTER IRAILS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WINTER IRAILS

by ELMEP RUSSEL GREGOR

Co&'DKXTTS?' FIBL.E> $

F one would learn the inWf nermost secrets of the gjgKff &M wild neighbors about him, let hlm so forth into H| woods and fields after the plv II first snowstorm has covL ered the earth with an . . immaculate mantle of fcC glistening whiteness. There he will find recorded a true and exhaus * . I ~ tive account of outdoor i happenings of the past “ twenty-four hours. Across the snow-covered field at the edge of the woods you trail the familiar tracks of the little cottontail rabbit. By their side, and occasionally joining and obliterating them, are the accusing foot-prints of that mischievous pointer pup, who should have been tied up in the barn. About a small clujnp of swaying weed-Stalks are the four-barred prints of such hardy birds as Juncos, red-polls, and the larger blue-jays and crows. A powdery mass of loosened snow comes sifting down from the topmost bough of an evergreen at the forest edge, as a large snowy owl files noiselessly back into the silent woods. Driven from his gummer hunting grounds at the far north, by the icy hand of winiter, he will levy toll from squirrels, grouse and rabbits, before taking his departure for more congenial climes at the coming of spring. His hunting Is methodical and constant. ( With set, silent, wings, he swoops suddenly down upon his Victim, like some great specter of the forest. Little Pound pellets of hair, feathers and bones found on the snow beneath his favorite perch. Indicate the fate of his unfortunate prey. Fierce, rapacious and Insatiable, he flies over the fields, and through the forest, ever ready to fall like a meteor, on some unsuspecting bird or mammal. Unlike most of his kind, this bold assassin from the arctic does not confine his hunting excursions to the night time alone, but files abroad during certain hours of the day as well; thereby proving even more destructive and dangerous than Ids ally in crime, the northern gosliawk. Over the whitened aisles of the forest wind the beautiful, delicately traced trails of the little wood-mice. Nibbling daintily at dried grass and larger weed-stalks, they wander about during the coldest weather. When the thermometer stands far below zero and starvation often threat-1 ens them, these little mice, when In the vicinity of farms, make their way to the granaries and barns, In search of food. When wandering about the woods, they often come upon the shed antler of a deer or moose; they at once start to nibble and gnaw at the hard substance, until they finally entirely destroy It. In many Instances their winding trails disappear beneath the snow, to reappear some little distance further on, emerging from a tiny tunnel which they have dug In search of hidden seeds. At the base of some forest tree Is recorded the jump of the gray squirrel. In long, undulating bounds, he makes his way over the snow. Oftentimes he pokes his nose beneath the surface And pushes and roots In search of acorns or nuts, which he knows are somewhere beneath that cold white covering. Some blue-jays scream, and, unwilling to betray his storehouse, he runs quickly to a nearby trunk and ascends to the first limbs, where he sits vociferously scolding the noisy intruders. Beneath the snow-laden branches of the balsams, the round cat-like imprints of the lynx show forth. Bold and prominent, they form an easilyfollowed trail through the woods. The . half-burled top of a fallen tree, a cavity left by the roots of an upturned stump, a thiek-grown mass of rhododenrons, have all been carefully examined by this soft-footed prowler In his relentless search for food. Slightly further on, his trail joins that of the varying hare, or “white rabbit,” and his tread becomes measured and careful, as he creeps forward on the hot scent of his intended victim. About the edge of a dismal swamp the disturbed snow shows where, coming on the unwary hare, he has made his leap and secured his prize. The line by the side of his trail marks the drag offihis prey on the snow as he has carried it to the top of an open knoll Here are displayed all the evidences of his savage feast. Having satisfied hig hunger he has circled about and several times walked to the point of his commanding elevation. One can almost hear his weird, piercing Scream, uttered in bold defiance from his prominence. Evidently satisfied that nothing Is to be gained by tarrying longer in the vicinity, his restless feet have been #gain turned toward the denser forest In which direction By the side of a gently-murmuring, Ice-incrusted brook, appears the sinuous hunting trail of the blood-thirsty , ytink. The little footprints in sets of two and two, register in the snow |

along both shores of the stream, for the mink in his hunting, crosses and recrosses on the ice many times in the course of a mile. Keenly alert, he travels swiftly along, watchful for anything with which he may satiate the pangs of hunger. A disaßled or careless grouse, a trout, trapped in some shallow, isolated pool, an unwary muskrat, a venturesome wood mouse, abroad from its shelter, or even the remains left from the repast of some more fortunate or powerful marauder, will suffice In his time of need. Up Into the wind goes the slim, pointed head, with the little bead-like eyes; the tiny nose twitches, apprehensively "ht some scent borne on the uncertain breeze. Every nook and crevice beneath the shelving banks Is thoroughly explored; into each air-hole of the ice-coated stream, is thrust the ratlike head, to peer Intently into the depths of the black pool beneath. Through one of these openings the long, slender, brown body slips, to turn and twist with lightning-like rapidity in the icy current. Emerging from the chilling wafer, Its wet coat glistening, its eyes flashing triumphantly, the agile little animal has its Jaws fastened across the body of a luckless trout. Beneath the shelter of a fallen pine, the prize is placed and closely guarded by the suspicious mink. After manyHttfeTjatrbfy About -thO flfltfF vicinity, made for the purpose of discovering any hidden foe, if such there be, the crafty hunter has partaken of his well-earned meal. Some telltale evidences left behind on the trampled snow proclaim all this, and then jthe tracks lead on down the stream. At soriie distance from the brookbed, farther back in the forest, winds the clear-cut, well-defined tracks of the red fox. The footprints are distinguishable from those of the lynx even at first glance. The imprints themselves are narrower, and placed more nearly In a straight line; while the stride, from the track to track. Is half again as long as in the wider lynx trail. The drag of the bushy tail is duly recorded, as the sharply outlined footprints lead up to and over the brow of a hill. From the clean, sharp tracks left on the snow, one can readily imagine the sly, red fellow daintily placing those tireless black feet. The trail leads Into an old .wood road along which the fox has trotted. At one place, evidently frightened by something he has jumped far to one side, then gone on at a mad gallop. Down to the edge of an ice-covered; snow-coated pond, the tracks lead. Evidently recovered from his unexplainable panic, he steals stealthily to the coter of the bushes that fringe the frozen lake. His trail proceeds to the outskirts of a frozen marsh, along which it follows. About several muskrat houses hfs wayward footprints circle; at one particular dome-shaped habitation the impatient fox has scraped away the snow and seemingly endeavored to scratch through the impentrable, frozen mass composing the roof. Having probably caused the terrified inmates to abandon the grass-lined living chamber, and to plunge into the black, chilling water beneath the ice, he has turned and made his way leisurely across the swamp to a hemlock grove. Cautiously he has worked his way under the drooping branches, his keen nose searching for some promising scent. He has alarmed a torpid grouse, as recorded by the disturbed area of snow, showing the bomb-like flight of the Startled bird at the near approach of the silent stalker. At one place he has jumped for a

mouse, and, Judged by the Imprints, has miscalculated the distance and missed his quarry. Two or three playful bounds mark the ascent of his trail to higher ground, where, reaching more open country it leads off to the right, the tracks showing he has broken into a hurried trot for parts unknown. On the crest of a neighboring hardwood ridge is the trail of a noble white-tail buck. Differing from the trail of the doe, by the larger tracks, more rounded toes, greater length of stride between prints and drag on the snow before and after each particular footprint, the tracks are sufficiently interesting to follow. From the trail it may be gathered that the animal has walked leisurely along up-wind, browsing on laurel, birth twigs, and smaller bushes. He has carefully walked a log to cross a brook, and stood drinking of the clear, cold water. Occasionally he has stopped to listen and look back on his trail for the detection of any harmful follower. He has nothing to fear from the front, for his sefibitlve muzzle would detect the warning taint on the breeze, long before the enemy Itself hove in sight. In several places he has pawed the snow clear for considerable spaces, evidently in search of some winter delicacy beneath the glimmering crystals. Another buck track still larger than the first, which it Joins, promises interesting developments further along. For some distance it follows its rival at a walk, then impatience is shown in the recorded tracks left by the trotting animal. This second buck one would judge to be the bigger animal, from its larger tracks, although this need not essentially follow. At any rate he is evidently in a great hurry to overtake and challenge his predecessor, judging from his tracks, which show he has broken into a graceful canter. Farther on the snow records the preliminaries of battle gone through by both bucks at sight of each other. Each has pawed and stamped the snow in a circle of considerable area. Both have broken small bushes and rubbed the bark from saplings with their antlers. One has trotted forward challengingly for a short distance, given a few buck lumps and retreated to again vent his wrath on bush and tree. At last they closed with a rush; both, from the evidence recorded apparently having been carried to their knees by the force of the impact. Rising, they pushed, retreated and charged, until the snow was entirely .cleared from the arena. Several times one or the other has been thrown heavily to earth; the imprints left by their bodies being plainly visible. Bits of hide, long coarse alarming blotches of red, prove the fierceifcsa of the battle for supremacy; ——- As is inevitably the case, the weakat last gave way; his blood-stained trail leading off in a series of great bounds down the hillside. For some distance the second trail accompanied it, but finally branched off into a dense bit of forest, the victor evidently seeking the shelter and solitude for recuperation from his own wounds and bruises. , '' As twilight comes stealing over the whitened landscape, obliterating distance and closing in, in' a" gradually .contracting circle, many other interesting tracks and trails are found, but the winter days are short and the fading light beneath the trees drives one out in the Open fields, across them into the road—and home. Happiness is the natural flower of duty. The good man ought to be a thoroughly bright and happy manz—« Phillips Brooks. ; i-