He had already risen to his feet--the others following his example--and all three walked moodily away from the spot, taking the most direct route towards their rude dwelling, which now more than ever they had reason to regard as their _home_.
On reaching the hut they found still another cause of inquietude.

Their stock of provisions, which had survived the destructive onset of the elephant, had been economised with great care.

But as they had been too busy in making the ladders to waste time on any other species of industry, nothing had been added to the larder--neither fish, flesh, nor fowl.

On the contrary, it had dwindled down, until upon that clay when they issued forth to try their ladders against the cliff, they had left behind them only a single piece of dried yak-beef--about enough to have furnished them with a single meal.
Hungry after the day's fruitless exertion, they were contemplating a supper upon it, and not without some degree of pleasant anticipation: for nature under all circumstances will assert her rights, and the cravings of appetite are not to be stifled even by the most anguished suffering of the spirit.
As they drew nearer to the hut, but more especially when they came in sight of it, and perceived its rude but hospitable doorway open to receive them--as from the chill atmosphere through which they were passing they beheld its sheltering roof of thatch, and thought of its snug, cosy interior--as, keenly experiencing the pangs both of cold and hunger, they beheld in fancy a bright faggot fire crackling upon the hearth, and heard the yak-beef hissing and sputtering in the blaze, their spirits began to return to their natural condition, and if not actual joy, something that very much resembled cheerfulness might have been observed in the demeanour of all.
It is ever thus with the mind of man, and perhaps fortunate that it is so.

The human soul finds its type in the sky--cloud and sunshine, sunshine and cloud.
With our adventurers the dark cloud had for the moment passed; and a gleam of light was once more shining upon their hearts.
It was not destined to shine long.