"I tell you we can't wait, Jack!"
"We've got to. I'm as willin' to lay down my life for that young gal as anybody on earth, but in this yere mist an' as black a night as it's goin' to be, we couldn't go ten rod without killin' ourselves an' we couldn't see nothin' noways."
"But she may be in the cañon."
"If she's in the cañon 'twon't make no difference to her w'ether we finds her to-morrer or next day or next year, Bob."
Maitland groaned in anguish.
"I can't stay here inactive," he persisted stubbornly.
"It's a hard thing, but we got to wait till mornin'. Ef she got out of the cañon and climbed up on the hogback she'll be all right; she'll soon find out she can't make no progress in this mist and darkness. No, old friend, we're up agin it hard; we jest got to stay the night w'ere we are an' as long as we got to wait we might as well make ourselves as comfortable as possible. For the wimmen an' children anyway. I fetched up some ham and some canned goods and other eatin's in these yere canvas sacks, we might kindle a fire—"
"It's hardly possible," said Maitland, "we shall have to eat it cold."
"Oh, Robert," pleaded his wife, "isn't it possible that she may have escaped?"
"Possible, yes, but—"