Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp · Chapter
The Chase explained
A man tracks a woman through the snow, interpreting her footprints and flight as a playful invitation rather than fear, culminating in her waiting for him.
What happens
A man tracks a woman through the snow, interpreting her footprints and flight as a playful invitation rather than fear, culminating in her waiting for him.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Romance
The narrator's pursuit of the maid is driven by romantic desire, interpreting her flight as a flirtatious invitation.
Nature and the Landscape
The snow-covered landscape serves as both a setting and a medium for tracking, with footprints revealing the maid's path.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The pursuer who follows the moccasin tracks in the snow, interpreting the maid's flight as a romantic game.
- Pocock
Attributed as the source of the poem 'Curley' from which the excerpt is taken.
Key passages
“Here’s a moccasin track in the drifts, It’s no more than the length of my hand; An’ her instep—just see how it lifts! If that ain’t the best in the land!”
I see a moccasin print in the snow, small and delicate, with a high instep—the most beautiful foot in the country.
The narrator marvels at the small footprint, using it as evidence of the maid's grace and beauty.
“Did she run? ’Twas a sign to make haste. An’ why bless her! I’m sure she won’t mind. If she’s got any kisses to waste, Why, she knew that a man was behind.”
Her running was a signal for me to hurry, and I'm certain she won't object—if she has kisses to spare, she knew I would follow.
The narrator reassures himself that the maid's flight is an invitation, not a rejection.
“There she is! An’ I knew she was near. Will she pay me a kiss to be free? Will she hate? Will she love? Will she fear? Why, the darling! She’s waiting to see!”
There she is! I knew she was close. Will she give me a kiss to escape? Will she hate, love, or fear me? Oh, the dear! She's waiting to see what happens!
The narrator spots the maid and realizes she is waiting, confirming his interpretation of the chase as a romantic game.