Beadle's Dime Novels No. 96: Little Moccasin — page 55: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ON THE TRAIL. 57 He was armed to the teeth, but alone, and evidently on the watch for somebody or something. Hour after hour he held on his way, until, just as the sun was setting, and the great woods were all ablaze with triumphant glory, and all the clearings lighted up: with unaccustomed splendor, he reached the point where they had lost the trail of the little moccasin the day before. Determined not to give up, he continued the search, though hardly a trace could be found of the little prints which had been so easily followed up to the foot of the ledge, and along on the other side, owing to the heavy rain, which had changed the whole face of the country ; and the sudden thaw, which had leveled the roughest places, and ob- literated all their footsteps, leaving only here and there a dimple. But : nevertheless, and soon recovered the trail, after he entered the undergrowth, and was not a little surprised to find the direction changed, so as to lead into the thick of the wilderness, where the snow lay deeper, and the rains had not so greatly changed the surface, but only formed a strong, smooth, glittering c Here it needed the most careful scrutiny, for the footprints were only touches here and there—hurried and faint—along the dazzling surface, and liable to be overlooked even by. a more experienced eye. Standing at a distance, there were signs to be made out, run- ning all in one direction, which, as he drew near, seemed to vanish. Separately examined, they were any thing but satis- fuctory ; but when he stood still, and cast his eye along as far as he could see, there was an appearance not to be mista- ken, as if something had passed swiftly, either pursued or in pursuit, and within a few hours at furthest. Once or twice, while hurrying hither and thither, into the yroods and out, he saw, or fancied he saw, a long way off, something in motion. It was like a»shadow, and appeared to be running along the ground at one time, and then dodging behind the trees. Might he not be followed ?—and if so, by what ?—or whom? Looking to the cap on _ his rifle, and remembering his narrow escape from the cougar, he was just making up his mind to follow it, when it suddenly disappear- ed altogether, and left him to follow the Little Moccasin trail once more, under greater and still greater disadvantages; for connicioooks.con