Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-09-09

episodes of trail following, we find that
there is only one sort of mark which,
unless a man walks through running
water, he cannot do otherwise than
leave, and this is his footmarks.
Unless a man rides in balloon he
cannot travel over the ground without
some part Of himself or his conveyance
touching it, and that part which touches
the ground is sure to leave mark more
or less distinct and permanent. 1t may
be a foot track an inch deep In the
ground or it may be only the faintest
scratch on some stone. 1t rests with
the tracker whether or not the mark
shall be correctly read and interpreted
The fOotmarks a man leaves are of
various kinds, according to the sort of
ground he walks over. The trail fol-
lower must always take the ground
into consideration and have definitely
in mind the sort of marks he is likely
to find 1t is hardly worth while to
watch for a broken twig in bare field
or the impression of a heel on the face
of bowlder. Different surfaces will
have different ways of telling the story
that "some one has passed this way"
Ground, considered from the stand
point of a tracker, may be roughly di-
vided into soft, hard, bare and over
grown. The first and last make the
best trailing. Any amateur can follow
trail over soft ground, but over hard
practice of which needs much training
and great concentration.
Color is a great factor in trail follow
ing. Stones, hard pieces of dried mud,
bits of bark, even dust, are of one color
next to the ground and quite another
color next to the sun. By noting this it
can be determined whether stone, mud,
bark or dust has been lately disturbed.
An abundance of large rocks makes
trailing very difficult. Unless the per-
son followed wears pegged shoes, the
nails of which scratch the surface of
the rock, amateurs will not be able to
unrayeI a trail which leads over the
face of a bowlder, but they can circle
and pick up the trail where it leaves the
| rock.
When trail leads through districts
which are overgrown, crushed flowers,
grasses and broken twigs are, of course,
t the signs for which to watch.
This is the A B c of trail following
footprints on soft ground, discolora-
ton on hard ground and broken plants
on covered ground. Any boy who keeps
this in mind is sure, with little prac-
tice. to become efficient, and is unlike
| 1oI oc+ro hu old mo plyS
for example, in following trail over
| hard ground one comes upon a heel
mark half an inch deep 1t is evident
that the impression was made shortly
after the last rain, and cannot be the
mark of recent trail.
| A game which is quite popular in GER
: tain sections of the country gives splen-
did practice in trail following.
F., A crowd of boys start walking across
country, making plain trail, but doing
it in unexpected ways, such as placing
stones on the limbs of trees or tying
I yiolets to grass stems, or planting a
fern or some such plant, which always
grows in the shade, out in the blazing
; sun.
! Half an hour later a second crowd OF
boys START out to overtake the first lot.
This second relay may race while those
whom they are following must walk.
Careful count is taken Of the time Ii
T takes to come up with those whom they
are following. When one party has cap,
tured the other they change places and
the pursuers become the pursued.
The boys who occupy the least time
in oyertaking their companions are, OF
course, accounted the winners
Peek-a.Boo.
Sweet Pleasure chooses many ways
To tempt the soul from languishment.
4 multitude the open roads
To those on recreation bent.