Early in the morning their feet were wet by icy water, for even the light weight of a man sometimes broke the frozen skin of the marsh.

By night a road of trampled snow, of greater or less length, was marked out across the expanse.

Thus the blanket was thrown back from the warm earth, and thus the cold was given a chance at the water beneath.

In a day or so the road would bear a horse.

A bridge of ice had been artificially constructed, on either side of which lay unsounded depths.