The Trail of the Sandhill Stag

By Ernest Thompson Seton

“The Trail of the Sandhill Stag” is a 1899 short story by Ernest Thompson Seton that chronicles a hunter's attempt at stalking a stag. With charming illustrations throughout, this engaging and captivating tale will appeal to lovers of nature literature and is not to be missed by fans of Seton charming work. Ernest Thompson Seton (1860 – 1946) was an English author and wildlife artist who founded the Woodcraft Indians in 1902. He was also among the founding members of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), established in 1910. He wrote profusely on this subject, the most notable of his scouting literature including “The Birch Bark Roll” and the “Boy Scout Handbook”. Seton was also an early pioneer of animal fiction writing, and he is fondly remembered for his charming book “Wild Animals I Have Known” (1898). Other notable works by this author include: “Lobo, Rag and Vixen” (1899), “Two Little Savages” (1903), and “Animal Heroes” (1911). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Goldberg Press
• Release date: Aug 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781528781527

Book preview

1.png

THE TRAIL OF

THE SANDHILL STAG

BY

ERNEST THOMPSON SETON

Naturalist to the Government of Manitoba

Author of

Wild Animals I Have Known

Art Anatomy of Animals

Mammals of Manitoba

Birds of Manitoba

First published in 1899

This edition published by Read Books Ltd.

Copyright © 2017 Read Books Ltd.

This book is copyright and may not be

reproduced or copied in any way without

the express permission of the publisher in writing

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available

from the British Library

Contents

Ernest Thompson Seton

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

Ernest Thompson Seton

Ernest Thompson Seton was born on 14th August 1860, in South Shields, County Durham, England. He grew up to be a pioneering author, wildlife artist, founder of the Woodcraft Indians, and one of the originators of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

The Seton family emigrated to Canada when Ernest was just six years old, and most of his childhood was consequently spent in Toronto. As a youth, he retreated to the woods to draw and study animals as a way of avoiding his abusive father – a practice which shaped the rest of his adult life. On his twenty-first birthday, Seton's father presented him with a bill for all the expenses connected with his childhood and youth, including the fee charged by the doctor who delivered him. He paid the bill, but never spoke to his father again.

Originally known as Ernest Evan Thompson, Ernest changed his name to Ernest Thompson Seton, believing that Seton had been an important name in his paternal line. He became successful as a writer, artist and naturalist, and moved to New York City to further his career. Seton later lived at ‘Wyndygoul’, an estate that he built in Cos Cob, a section of Greenwich, Connecticut. After experiencing vandalism by some local youths, Seton invited the young miscreants to his estate for a weekend, where he told them what he claimed were stories of the American Indians and of nature.  

After this experience, he formed the Woodcraft Indians (an American youth programme) in 1902 and invited the local youth to join (at first just boys,