“But we can’t stop here, Ray.”
“I know; I suppose if I stop it will be for good. You go on without me, Sid. You can make it alone, and there is no use in both of us failing.”
Sidney returned to his brother, and was alarmed by the pallor of the boy’s face.
“Give me your blankets, Ray,” he said; “I ought to have taken them before.”
“You can’t carry mine and your own too.”
“Oh, yes, I can, easily.” And Sidney detached the blanket roll from the shoulder of the unresisting boy. “Now, see, Ray, it’s only a little bit farther; don’t you think you can get up without anything to carry?”
“I’ll try; maybe I can.”
Raymond took one or two struggling, uncertain steps in the deep snow and stopped again.
“Here, Ray,” said Sidney, when he saw how exhausted his brother was; “take hold of the end of this blanket roll and pull just as hard as you want to. That will help you along.”
Raymond did as directed, taking hold of the roll which was slung over Sidney’s shoulder, and again they started. They took two or three steps when Sidney felt the weight released from his shoulder. He looked back and saw that Raymond had sunk down in the snow.