The afternoon was wearing on and the fog was rolling up ominously from the west.

It was of the utmost importance for us to get down into the next valley before dark.
We were now up 4500 ft.

and the night temperature at that elevation would be very low.

We had no tent and no sleeping-bags, and our clothes had endured much rough usage and had weathered many storms during the last ten months.

In the distance, down the valley below us, we could see tussock-grass close to the shore, and if we could get down it might be possible to dig out a hole in one of the lower snow-banks, line it with dry grass, and make ourselves fairly comfortable for the night.