The second time Celie's fingers tightened about his own to tell him that she, too, had heard.
A little later, leaving Celie alone, Philip went back to the edge of the spruce thicket and examined closely their trail where it had crossed a bit of open.

It was not half an hour old, yet the deluge of snow had almost obliterated the signs of their passing.

His one hope was that the snowfall would continue for another hour.

By that time there would not be a visible track of man or beast, except in the heart of the thickets.

But he knew that he was not dealing with white men or Indians now.