Each moment added to his excitement.

He heard the chatter of a red squirrel, much nearer than the moose-bird.

Once he fancied that he heard the striking of two objects, as though a rifle barrel had accidentally come into contact with the dead limb of a tree.
Suddenly the Indian youth imagined that he saw something--an indistinct shadow that came in the snow gloom, then disappeared, and came again.

He brushed the water and snow from his eyes with one of his mittened hands and stared hard and steadily.

Once more the shadow disappeared, then came again, larger and more distinct than before.