Before it could rise, another shot ended its troubles.

And now a careful study shed the light desired.
Rolf's first shot had hit the antler near the base, breaking it, except for the skin on one side, and had stunned the buck.

The second shot had broken a hind leg.

The scratching places he had made were efforts to regain the use of this limb, and at one of them the deer had fallen and parted the rag of skin by which the antler hung.
It was Rolf's first important trailing on the ground; it showed how possible it was, and how quickly he was learning the hardest of all the feats of woodcraft..