Here's a short story:

CHAPTER XVI 

FRANK KILLS A DEER 

They plodded through the bush for an hour or two without seeing any living thing except a few pigeons, and Harry began to look doubtful. 

"If it was early morning, I'd try one of the rock outcrops where nothing grows," he observed. "The deer get up on to those places out of the dew then. As it's afternoon, I don't know which way to head." 

Frank glanced at his clothes. Keen as he was on hunting, he would not have been sorry to head for home, for his duck trousers were badly torn and one of his boots which had been rather the worse for wear when he started was almost dropping off his foot. They trudged on, however, and accident favored them, as it often does when one is hunting, for at last when they were in very thick bush Harry dropped suddenly behind a patch of withered fern. 

"Look there!" he said softly. "Right ahead of you yonder." 

Frank gazed ahead with straining eyes, but he could only see the great trunks stretching back in serried ranks. He had heard somewhat to his astonishment that it is not often that a novice can see a deer in the bush even when it is pointed out to him, but now, it seemed, the thing was true. He could have declared that there was not a deer anywhere within the range of his vision. 

"Right in front," whispered Harry, impatiently. "About seventy yards off. Oh, look yonder!"  (End of story)

Provide your best guess for the following question. Give ONLY the guess, no other words or explanation.

For example:

Guess: <most likely guess, as short as possible; not a complete sentence, just the guess!>

Here are a few examples of questions and answers:

Question: What time of day was it?
Guess: morning

Question: Had they caught anything so far?
Guess: No

Question: How long had they been walking without seeing anything?
Guess: an hour or two

Question: Was Frank ready to go home?
Guess: Yes

Question: Did he like hunting?
Guess: Yes

Question: Did his boots fit?
Guess: it was almost dropping off his foot

Question: What kind of pants was he wearing?
Guess: duck trousers

Question: Were they in good condition?
Guess: No

Question: What was wrong with them?
Guess: they were torn

Now answer the following question in the same format.

Question: What did Harry drop behind?

a patch of fern.