"Molly," he suggested, "you can carry one or two of the sandwiches without inconvenience."
"Yes."
"Let us both do so; we may lose Jerry, and if so, they will come in handy."
"I have a couple, too," said Dot.
"It isn't best that you should burden yourself with them."
"But I can't help it, papa."
"How is that?"
"They're inside of me," and the parents, even in their great dread, smiled at the odd conceit of the little one, who chuckled softly to think how she had "fooled" her papa.
The delay was brief. The rancher knew that it was impossible to reach Fort Meade without crossing the stream before them, with the probability that still others awaited them at no great distance. It can be understood with what depth of dread he contemplated swimming the animals over, with the certainty of the saturation of all their garments, on this winter night, and the cold steadily increasing.
In short, it meant perishing, unless a fire was kindled, in which case, a delay would be necessitated that would throw away all the advantage secured by flight. He was determined not to do it, unless actually driven to it as a last resource.