It was, indeed, a fortunate thing for all concerned, for as they dropped from their saddles not one of the party could walk easily. Their limbs were stiffened, while even the ponies moved slowly, their heads down, their shaggy necks stretched out. However, movement would help the process of unfreezing, and at once David set the men an example. He helped to unpack the tents, and with the aid of the others soon had them erected in the very entrance of the cave. By then, too, Jong had a fine fire blazing, so that when the party had finished their labours, there was an air of comfort about the place.
'May just as well get something cooking,' said David, for the small experience he had had of travelling in the wilds had taught him that when men are in difficulties, and the position is still uncertain, a hearty meal, with warmth and comfort attached, go a great way to ease their minds, and make them look at possible danger lightly. 'Get a kettle on, Jong, and let us have a brew of tea. I'm beginning to unfreeze already, though a good hot drink would help matters wonderfully.'
The grinning Jong, who shivered violently between his grins, soon had a kettle unstrapped from one of the ponies, and a dash outside provided him with sufficient snow with which to fill it. In half an hour the water was boiling merrily, causing the kettle to sing a tuneful air, that attracted the eyes of all. Moreover, the Chinese soldiers proved most jovial comrades. Chu-Li, he with the prominent teeth and big lips, as Jong had made free to describe him, was a bit of a wag in his own way, and his remarks kept all smiling. In fact, the quartet settled down round the fire like boon companions, due respect, however, being paid to his Excellency, the young white leader of the party. Huge enamelled mugs held the steaming tea that Jong provided, while he had hardly poured it out when there was a mess of rice for the men, for they habitually steeped their rations for the following day over night, and sometimes half-boiled them, so that no great length of time was required to make the food fit for consumption. For the carniverous David there was one of those tins of delicious ready-cooked ration, consisting of beef and potatoes, with carrots and other vegetables, a regular Irish stew, in fact, for the preparation of which all that was required was to open the tin, and plunge it into a pannikin containing boiling water. Within a quarter of an hour there arose a savoury odour that set David's mouth watering.
'And now we may as well settle down for the night,' he said, when he had been to the entrance, only to find that the snow was falling as heavily as ever. 'I will take the first watch, and you others can arrange your turns. We'd better melt some snow in a couple of kettles and wash out the mouths of our ponies. That will put them on till morning, when we ought to be able to get away and find water. Fortunately we have feeds with us, so they won't go hungry.'
Before the night had fallen things inside the hollow wore a ship-shape appearance. Packs were stored not far from the opening, while a huge pile of brushwood was banked near the fire, so that it might be easily replenished. Then the Chinamen threw themselves down on the floor, and wrapped in their blankets were soon snoring.
'Where I shall not be sorry to be,' thought David, as he watched their figures near the fire. 'I could never believe that a snowstorm could be such a severe affair. That wind absolutely wearied me, so that I feel downright tired. However, a good sleep will make me fresh and fit again. Wonder how things are going outside.'
He went to the opening, and pushed back the edge of one of the tents. Flakes were still falling, but the wind seemed to have dropped with as much suddenness as it had arisen. More than that, the sky was clear, and was filled with thousands of bright, twinkling stars.
'Promising well for to-morrow,' he thought, 'though it won't be very easy travelling with this heavy fall on the ground. Perhaps we shall have to wait a little.'
As it turned out, the snow continued to sprinkle the ground all that night, and well on towards the following evening, so that David's little party remained in their snug quarters all day, save for a short excursion when they took the ponies out by couples and walked them up and down, allowing them to thrust their noses through the soft snow, and so obtain a few blades of grass.
'Fleezing hard now, sar,' said Jong, as the dusk fell. 'Dat be good for us, 'cos it harden de snow and let us get along easy. Not able to walkee much when de snow soft. It stick to de feet, and makee balls at de bottom of the ponies' hoofs. Fleeze to-night, den get away easy to-mollow.'