smiled in vain for
Sprigg! His eyes were on his moccasins, and his heart was in his eyes.

The boy was moving along in this half-dreamy state of self-admiration,
when his ear was caught by a noise, as of feet, which stirred the leaves
and came on with a quick, quick tramp. He started and looked up. Started
again, then stood stock still. What think you Sprigg saw there, in the
wild and lonesome woods? A gaunt-ribbed wolf, with teeth so long and
sharp? No, not a wolf. A shaggy-coated bear, with claws so long and
sharp? No, not a bear, nor panther, nor yet a wild-cat! Then it must
have been an Indian, as Elster had pictured, all hideously painted, with
a tomahawk in his right hand, a scalping knife in his left, and, by this
time, yelling like a demon! No, nor an Indian either. Only pap and
Pow-wow; pap, rifle on shoulder, not ten paces distant, and Pow-wow so
near that Sprigg could easily have laid his hand on his dear old
play-fellow's shaggy head.

The boy's first impulse was to slink aside and hide himself in a thick
clump of bushes which grew by the wayside; but it was too late, his
father's eyes were already fixed, or seemed to be fixed, directly upon
him. So he remained perfectly motionless where he was, standing, too, in
the very midst of a bright spot of sunlight--the only one which, just
there, broke the sombre shade of the forest. Pow-wow trotted on by, nor
wagged his tail in greeting to his young master, nor even so much as
raised his nose from the ground to sniff at him. His father passed on
by; passed within arm's length of his own flesh and blood, nor yet
extended his hand to touch him, nor even so much as moved his lips to
speak to him. What might this mean?

"He-he-he!"

And a low, wild laugh went out on the air. All three jumped--the boy,
the man, the dog--and, with startled eyes, all glanced behind them. The
dog slunk cowering back to the side of his master, who, with a glance of
his keen hunter's eye, which comprehended every object around them,
said, addressing his dumb companion:

"What! frightened, my brave old fellow? Frightened for the first time in
your life! What could it have been? for not a thing do I see." Yet his
eyes, as also those of the dog, were turned directly toward the spot
where, as though he were a bush and his feet roots, the boy still stood,
the sunlight shining full upon him. Sprigg felt a strange thrill come
creeping through his veins, to find that, though he was looked at, i