He followed the foot-prints a little way, but all traces of them were soon obliterated.

When he found that the steps could no longer be seen, he went toward a tree which he saw rising dimly at a little distance before him.

The tree proved to be a large hemlock, with wide-spreading branches.

There was a place under this tree where the ground was bare, having been sheltered from the snow by the branches of the tree.

There were some rocks too lying under this tree.