Read the following passage and answer the question.


“I’ll give him a trail to follow,” muttered Rainsford, and he struck off from the rude path he had been following into the trackless wilderness.


Why does the author write “struck off” instead of “walked off”?


because “struck off” implies that he struck someone

because “struck off” implies that he did it quickly and forcefully

because “struck off” implies that he did it slowly and forcefully

because “struck off” implies that he did it cautiously