The first snowflakes of another storm were beginning to flutter down by the time the two men reached camp, and dusk had set in.

On the drifted road from Bartolo, over which but few wagons had passed, travel was slow and they had consumed an hour and a half on their return.

The torches were burning along the canal, appearing at a distance like winter fireflies, but the crews of workmen had gone to supper.

Bryant and Morgan, when they drove down the street in camp, could hear them at their meal in the glowing mess tents--a subdued hubbub of plates and knives and voices.
Half an hour later they were pouring forth toward the horse tents, while the engineers were making their way along the torch-lit path to the stretch of undug canal.
"We'll allow fifteen minutes for them to get the teams out, then shoot," Carrigan said to Lee, as they moved along.

"All the shots are in and double-fused.