Greatly to Muskwa's relief the three men soon turned away from him and began to busy themselves about the fire.

This gave him a chance to escape, and he pulled and tugged at the end of the rope until he nearly choked himself to death.

Finally he gave up in despair, and crumpling himself up against the foot of the balsam he began to watch the camp.
He was not more than thirty feet from the fire.

Bruce was washing his hands in a canvas basin.

Langdon was mopping his face with a towel.