At the end of that time they were infinitesimal white dots on the sky-line.
He went on, and a few minutes later looked down into the other valley.
Southward this valley was shut out from his vision by a huge shoulder of rock.

It was not very high, and he began to climb it.

He had almost reached the top when his toe caught in a piece of slate, and in falling he brought his rifle down with tremendous force on a boulder.
He was not hurt, except for a slight twinge in his lame knee.

But his gun was a wreck.

The stock was shattered close to the breech and a twist of his hand broke it off entirely.
As he carried two extra rifles in his outfit the mishap did not disturb Langdon as much as it might otherwise have done, and he continued to climb over the rocks until he came to what appeared to be a broad, smooth ledge leading around the sandstone spur of the mountain.