He saw the captives crouching together, and the red gleam on the bayonets of the men who guarded them.

He saw Warner and Pendleton go into one of the lean-tos, and he saw Colonel Winchester, accompanied by Shepard and the sergeant, go down the valley toward the exit.
After a while the prisoners moved to the lean-tos, and then everybody took shelter.

The crackle of the big fires changed to a hiss, and more smoke arose from them.

The reason was obvious.

The big flakes of snow had ceased to fall, and big drops of rain were falling in their place.
Reed had been a true prophet, and he had not given his warning too soon.
The rain increased.