Page:The Cross Pull.pdf/236

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Moran’s ability but he lost it intentionally time after time. As he veered away from it and circled to pick it up, Flash moved back to it. At first he did this without thought that he was helping Moran, but each time he was lavishly praised. Later, he sensed that Moran required his help. He was not surprised that his master seemed to have difficulty in working out this trail. There is one bit of knowledge which comes to but few animals; only the grizzly and a few of the more intelligent dogs who have hunted with man or have been hunted by him seem to know that man follows a trail, not by scent, but by the sight of the tracks. All animals know that their back track is a source of menace and they watch it. When followed, many of them double and twist, exercising every ingenuity known to them to break their trail. Close study will prove conclusively that they have broken it to confuse the nose but not the eye. The grizzly and a few renegade dogs have the sagacity to cross territory which shows no tracks, working for invisibility without regard for scent when trailed by man.

There was no longer the slightest doubt that Moran was following this man. Flash bristled slightly. Only one possible reason occurred to