Emmett walked up to the two hunters quickly. "Well, boys, you're in," he said, grinning broadly. "I found one, just like I told you I would." "Where?" asked Thurman quickly. "Down this little path here, about a quarter of a mile. He's hiding in a kind of thicket, but you won't have any trouble spotting him. The sun's bright there, and you can see the white of his body clearly." He paused to give them a superior grin. "And I don't think he knew that I'd spotted him." "You stay here and look after the horses," Thurman told the guide. "We'll signal you at the kill." * * * * * The two hunters walked quickly down the path under the refreshing shade of the forest. Both of them were excited and they tended occasionally to stumble over tree roots and dead branches as they went. "He must be just down the way there," Karsten whispered hoarsely after they had gone for some distance into the woods. "Shush," whispered Thurman, attempting to quiet his companion. The path made a slight turn just beyond them, and when they had rounded it, they saw a thick clump of bushes ahead. Through the green-and-brown pattern of the leaves they could see brief patches of pale white. "That's it," whispered Karsten. Thurman nodded and pulled out his whistle. He gave a long, silent blast on it that he could hear only as a sharp rasping noise from the tiny plug he wore in one ear. The two hunters stood quietly, waiting, their faces filled with expectation. After a few brief moments, Thurman turned to his hunting partner. "No answer. We must have spotted him first." "Good," said Karsten. "Let's go get him." They had no more than started towards their quarry when they saw a sudden movement in the bushes. The white patches disappeared, and they could hear the sound of running feet. "Damn!" said Karsten loudly. "He must have heard us." Thurman smiled. "It's better this way, Bill. I rather like tracking them down. Don't you?" "Well, its kind of a bother, as far as I'm concerned. Especially so soon after eating," Karsten said. But he followed quickly behind as Thurman set off in pursuit. The forest was too thick for a man to run with any real speed, so the hunters managed to stay close behind their quarry without expending too much energy. "I wonder what he looked like," Karsten said they pushed their way through the thick underbrush. "I didn't get a good look at him." "Neither did I," Thurman replied, grabbing hold of a vine to pull himself over a dead tree that stood in their path. "I hope he isn't just an ordinary criminal. I've got enough black stripes at home as it is." "Look out!" Karsten cried suddenly. "He's doubling back on us!"