Huff…huff
The sound of hurried footsteps accompanied by heavy breathing echoed in the silent forest.
A middle-aged man with a hat bearing a torch on his head, dressed in a black tailcoat and trousers with ankle-high boots, moved anxiously, looking behind him intermittently while clutching a bag in one hand and a shotgun in the other.
Looking around for cover, he soon found his way to a relatively large tree, using its trunk to hide his figure before promptly turning off the torch on his hat.
Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to calm his nerves while listening for any movement.
Moments later, what sounded like whispering could be heard accompanying the cool breeze which caused the man to grow tense.
First glancing to the right and then to the left, he quickly crouched down.
Placing the bag he was carrying in a crevice in the tree trunk, he used both hands to grab his shotgun as he held his breath.
