He pointed to a hole in the snow. It was circular and about two feet deep.
"Now that's strange," exclaimed Nick. "There's a whole row of 'em."
Rube looked at the queer marks, grunted, and shook his head. He hadn't a notion what they were, but did not like to betray his ignorance to the boys.
"Reckon best not talk," he growled. "Don't take much to start snow a-sliding."
For the next half mile no one spoke. Twice more Roger noticed a series of the same queer marks in the snow. Also in two places there seemed to be regular roads beaten back into the thick underbrush of the snowclad forest on their right. He did not pay much attention. His eyes were fixed on the tree trunks.
"Dad's mark!" he cried, pointing to a blaze on a big trunk by the path.
The words were hardly out of his mouth before there came a deep crashing sound from somewhere behind.
"Yew've done it now!" cried Rube. "That's the snow!"
"Not a bit of it," retorted Nick. "It's coming from the wood."
"Blamed if you ain't right!" exclaimed Rube. "Thet beats all. I never heerd a snowslide come down through a wood afore."
"It's not snow; it's something alive!" shouted Roger. "For heaven's sake, look there!"
Rooted to the ground with sheer amazement, the three saw the forest wave as if it were grass, heard the crashing of great boughs and trunks breaking like nettles under a boy's stick.
There came a scream like the escape of steam from an express engine, and then there burst out from the forest a beast so huge and hideous that those who saw it stood gasping, unable to believe their eyes.
As large as a four-roomed cottage, in shape it resembled an elephant. It was covered all over with a thatch of coarse, reddish hair, and high above its monstrous head it waved a trunk of incredible size. On each side of this trunk curled vast tusks, and its small, bloodshot eyes glowed with bestial fury.
Again came that awful trumpeting. Instantly both the pack ponies were off at a mad gallop.
The warning was needless. Nick and Roger were off as hard as their shaking legs could carry them, and behind them came the monster at a shambling gallop, which, in spite of the snow, covered the ground at terrific speed.
Again he trumpeted, and one of the pack ponies, mad with fright, tried to wheel sideways into the wood. The poor brute slipped and fell, rolling over and over. Before it could regain its feet the monster was upon it, and, lifting pony, pack, and all, bodily in its trunk, flung it against the cliffside with such frightful force as must have broken every bone in its body.