The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-07-06
4 TRAIL.
A Game Popular Win Bs,u In ssme Parts
Of the Country.

I" 80
A game which il quite popular In certain
parts 81 tho country gives splendid practice
In u nil following
A crowd Of boys start 20 walk across
country. making q PLAIN trail, but doing
IL In unexvrcted ways. such as placing
stones on the limbs of trees or tying violets
10 sras- stems, or planting a fern ar some
such plant. which grows m the shade. out
in the blazing sun.
Half an hour later n second crowd Of
hoyu starr mi Ia overAko the nrst lot
This second relay NAV hurry. ~hile those
whom they ar. following must walk.
Careful count Is taken Of h time "
takes 20 come w with those whom they
are following Whom one party hav"
captured the other. they change places and
the pursu-rs bsc"ms the pursued.
The boys who occupy the least time in
o%v,rtaking their companions are, OF course.
accounted the winners.
To hide a trail from The eyes Of a hoy
or even of an ordinary wpodsman needs only
a good rain or a few days Of sun and wind.
Very few Indians or trapp~rs can follow a
trail IL the weather has had one weeks
time in which 10 ohliterat. II.
There are some men. however. whose
Ave senses are - carefully coached that
they orer NOR. resources than the abnor-
mally trainei nose IL the bloodhound
To such wood-nrn a trail once made will
stand for wc-ks or even months In any
sort 81 weather
In giving an idca how 20 GO about fol-
lowing a trail IL will 10 necessary "a con
slider n few uni kaly conditions In order
90 explain what ordinarily happens. or
courIn there are q thousand and one vays
in which a MAJ NAV leave traces 81 himself
A.. for instance, Nv dropping his hand
kerrhirf. or. if a." has ls-n wounded. hv
his blood. or If he has been smoking. 10y his
cigar ashes.
Ihe-e conditions often are used in stories
hut when IL comes TO actual trail following
ono j. quite likely 10 find that the MAJ To be
traced has neglected 10 lose his handker-
chief. IL not wounded and never smokes.
When We throw aside all. or az l-as, most
81 tho romantic. torn dress or dropped
slipyer epirodo~ - trail following. W. find
that, there II only on" -or' Of mark which
unless n man walks through running water,
h- cannot do wis. than lsaye, and this
l. his foo'Usrk
Mess a man rides in n balloon he cannot
travel over Inc EffNltl NlliA''N NfiNf par
81 himself ar his c~onNeVarC" touching IL.
and that par which touches the ground
r. sur" 20 lcav~ q mark more or lees die
ttuot and permanent
II NAV l., a foot rack an inch deep in
Tho ground or u NAV H., only the faints~t
-,ra'cN on some Stone u rests with tho
trarkor whether or not NJ" mark shall Ia
correctly read and interpreted
n. foot marks a man leaves are OF vart-
oiI~ KNIT. according :" H." -"r' OF ground
he walks over n" trail follower mus,
alwav- take the ground into Consideration
ard lave definitely in mind a.. sort of
mark %" u likely to find
II IL hardly worth while 10 watch for n
broken tVlg IN a hare field pr the impres-
SION - a h"~l lu the fac" Of a boulder pn-
f.r"nt surfaces will have different ways
II telling the story that SON" On" has
passed. this wav'
Ground. rrnsid~rnd from the standpoint
81 a rra.kcr. may - roughly divided into
-pf'. hard. hare and o~v"rgruvn Ia" first
| and 'a4' max" ~" t-~t trailing
ANY amateur can follow a trail over
snf, ground. but over hard ground the
thing u.-,lu,~ an arr, the practice Of which
needs much training and great conccn-
tra'inn
color i a great factor in trail following
Stones. hart pies.'- ~ drisi mud. hits 81
bark. oven dust. are ~ on" color next TO
the ground, and quite another color next
10 tho sun By noting This II Can III" deter
miu.! whether stone. mud. bark or dust
has boon lately disturbed
An abundance Of larg" rock makes
trailing very diricult. Unless the person
~follov,si wears p"gg~d shoes, IA" nails
" whIDn scratch the surfac" 81 IA" rock.
amateurs Will not he able" Ia unravel a
trail which l"ad- ,Vcr the face - n boulder.
but they can circle and PICK up tho trail
where u lDa,c- ~" rock
When a trail leads through districts
which ar" oN"rgrnwn, crushed flowers.
grasses and broken twigs are, 81 course.
IN sign FOR which To watch.
This IL. ~" 4 II & Of trail following
foo'prnt- on soft ground. disColora'ion On
hari ground and broken plants on covered
ground Any how b keeps this in mind
l. sure. with a little practice. 10 become
efficient. and L. unlikely 10 he led astray by
old marks
n. Tor example. in following a trail over
hard ground IN" comes upon n heel mark
halr an fr,h deep. II - evident that the
imprc-sion was mad shortly after the
Ia, rain. and cannot h. the mark II a re-
cent trail