"I hate to leave here without seeing that wolf," he said, as he stood
hesitating, with his torch in hand. "He may be sneaking somewhere among
these rocks, popping in and out whenever he has a chance; and if I could
only get another sight of him, I would stick to him till he told me his
secret."

He awaited awhile longer, but the hope was an illusive one, and he finally
started on his return to camp.




CHAPTER III.

STRANGE EXPERIENCES.


Young Munson was destined to learn ultimately that he had undertaken an
impossible task. The hunter, in the flush and excitement attending the
pursuit of game, can form no correct idea of the distance passed, and so
he, in attempting to run the shadowy wolf to earth, had traveled twice as
far as he supposed. The case is altogether different when the hunter
starts to return. It is then that the furlongs become miles, and the
wearied pursuer feels disgusted with the enthusiasm which led him so far
away from headquarters.

When the lad was certain that he had labored far enough on the back track
to take him fully to the camp-fire, he really had not gone more than
one-half the distance. Worse than this, he saw, from the nature of the