Читать книгу Camping in the Winter Woods: Adventures of Two Boys in the Maine Woods онлайн

48 страница из 81

At last it was time to go, and the little hunting party filed away into the black forest. Following along one behind the other, they came to the spring-hole where they had seen the tracks. Bill, who was leading with Moze, had trouble in holding the hound back. It sniffed excitedly over the moist ground, but seemed to find nothing especially interesting, and they moved on.

“Little too early,” said Bill.

“We’ll find one before long,” Ben prophesied, hopefully.

The boys moved slowly along behind the trapper, who carried the lantern, and Ben followed in the rear to prevent their straying from the trail. The great black woods had a peculiar charm about them at that time of night, and as the boys peered about beneath the massive trees they recalled the story of a panther which the guide had told them. They wondered if one of those savage animals was lurking somewhere near them in the darkness, and were thankful for two such body-guards as Bill and Ben.

Suddenly the hound uttered a long, dismal howl and jumped forward so quickly that it almost pulled Bill headlong to the ground.