"It's no use waiting.

The wind and sleet are going to make a night of it, and we shall gain nothing by waiting." The start was begun again--this time cautiously and on all-fours.

Even so the wind seemed once or twice as if it would sweep them from the ledge.

Yard by yard they crawled on.

The driving mist fell like a pall over the mountain, and in a few minutes they could not even see a yard in front of them.