Rainsford is already a pro, but Zaroff teaches him that it is only by using his wits that he will ever manage to escape. Zaroff's insistence on this difference between man and other big game animals makes Rainsford rely primarily on his intelligence during the hunt when his own life is at stake:
"The ideal quarry must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason."
Since there is no place to run, Rainsford has to find a definitive solution on the island itself. First, he constructs traps, getting rid of the henchman Ivan and one of the dogs; then he profits from the dogs' absence to double back to Zaroff's castle to ambush him when he returns. By strategy he is able to turn the tables and take the offensive role of the "game."
Another lesson Rainsford learns from Zaroff is that there is no place for mercy in the law of the jungle. He catches Zaroff off guard and unarmed and finishes him off without a moment's hesitation. Rainsford loses no sleep over such 'good riddance.' In fact, he can't remember the last time he has slept so well...
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