He was dragging a clogging weight of snow with him, and the white flakes were in his eyes, while now and then his breath failed him and he heard Okanagan growling hoarse and half-articulate expletives.
"You have got to hold out, Charley.

There's the canoe below you," he said.
Seaforth braced himself for a last effort, and was never sure whether he or Okanagan stumbled first, but his feet slipped from under him and he fell upon Alton as Tom went down.

Then the three slid together down the slope of rock, and fell heavily over the edge of it.

Seaforth was partly dazed when Okanagan dragged him to his feet, but, he could see that Alton lay very still with his face awry and that there was consternation in the eyes of his comrade.
"Have we hurt you, Harry ?" he said hoarsely.
Alton groaned a little, and his lips moved once or twice before Seaforth caught any audible answer.
"I don't know that you did it, but I think that bone has gone," he said.
Okanagan, saying nothing, dropped on hands and knees, and while Alton groaned drew the bands tighter about the shattered cedar-bark.

Then he rose up and looked at Seaforth, and the two stood silent for almost a minute with the snow whirling about them.