Immediately after the gates surrounding Zaroff's chateau shut behind Sanger Rainsford, he panics and attempts to put as much distance from himself and Zaroff's estate as possible. Rainsford is overwhelmed with fear and struggles to compose himself once the hunt begins. After running at a fast pace for an extended period of time, Rainsford begins to collect his thoughts and settles down. After thinking about his desperate situation, Rainsford comes to the realization that straight flight is futile. An experienced hunter like General Zaroff will easily follow a direct trail and catch up to him in a short time. Rainsford also realizes that running in a straight line will inevitably bring him face-to-face with the sea.

Rainsford proceeds to imagine the island as a picture within a frame of water and understands that all his actions must take place within the frame. Instead of continuing to run in a straight line, Rainsford begins to create a series of intricate loops by doubling his trail multiple times. Rainsford's actions resemble the clever fox, and he hopes to confuse the general, who will attempt to follow his difficult trail through the wilderness at night. After making an elaborate trail, Rainford is exhausted and spends the night in a tree. Rainsford hopes that his false trails are enough to fool the general and survive another day on the treacherous island.