"Dad's mark!" he cried, pointing to a blaze on a big trunk by the path.
The words were hardly out of his mouth before there came a deep crashing sound from somewhere behind.
"Yew've done it now!" cried Rube. "That's the snow!"
"Not a bit of it," retorted Nick. "It's coming from the wood."
"Blamed if you ain't right!" exclaimed Rube. "Thet beats all. I never heerd a snowslide come down through a wood afore."
"It's not snow; it's something alive!" shouted Roger. "For heaven's sake, look there!"
Rooted to the ground with sheer amazement, the three saw the forest wave as if it were grass, heard the crashing of great boughs and trunks breaking like nettles under a boy's stick.
There came a scream like the escape of steam from an express engine, and then there burst out from the forest a beast so huge and hideous that those who saw it stood gasping, unable to believe their eyes.
As large as a four-roomed cottage, in shape it resembled an elephant. It was covered all over with a thatch of coarse, reddish hair, and high above its monstrous head it waved a trunk of incredible size. On each side of this trunk curled vast tusks, and its small, bloodshot eyes glowed with bestial fury.
Again came that awful trumpeting. Instantly both the pack ponies were off at a mad gallop.