"It's quite a storm," I remarked.
"There'll be avalanches," said Raoul. I thought he spoke uneasily and that there was a hint of apprehension in the glance he cast up at the Bec de l'Empereur.
"Of course," said I, "we are safe enough in this valley."
"Yes, but a bad slide might choke the pass."
"What would that do to us, Raoul?"
"Cut us off from the rest of the world," he said simply.
"For how long?"
"Days, weeks—longer perhaps. Who knows what might happen if a big snow broke loose from the Bec de l'Empereur?"
"Anyway," said I, "we have sufficient provisions."
"Plenty, Monsieur."