And then, all at once, they came together, and David saw that the bear had crossed the sand last and that his huge paws had obliterated a part of the moccasin trail.

This did not strike him as unusually significant until he came to a point where the moccasins turned sharply and circled to the right.

The bear followed.

A little farther--and David's heart gave a sudden thump! At first it might have been coincidence, a bit of chance.

It was chance no longer.