Nothing was to be seen of the animal, and only a few drops of blood on the leaves indicated the direction in which he had gone.

This quickly caught Archie's eye, and he began to follow up the trail, which led toward a creek that flowed close by.
But when he arrived upon its bank he was again at fault--the trail was lost; and, while he was running up and down the bank, searching for it, he happened to cast his eye toward the opposite side of the creek, and there was his 'coon, slowly ascending a tall stump that stood at the water's edge.
Archie could not refrain from giving a shout of joy, for he was confident that the chase would soon be over; and he hurried, impatiently, up and down the bank to find some place to cross, and finally discovered a small tree lying in the water, whose top reached almost to the opposite bank.

The 'coon had undoubtedly crossed on this bridge; and Archie sprang upon it.

It shook considerably, but he kept on, and had almost reached the opposite side, when the tree broke, and he disappeared in the cold water.

He rose immediately, and, shaking the water from his face, struck out for the shore, puffing and blowing like a porpoise.