Dick believed in fact that the raiders had been compelled to abandon the pursuit.
When they reached a lower level, where the snow was far less dense, they stopped and listened.

The sergeant's ears had been trained to uncommon keenness by his life on the plains, and he could hear nothing but the sigh of the falling snow.

Nor could Petty, who had fine ears himself.
They descended still further, and made another stop.

It was snowing here also, but it was merely an ordinary fall, and they could get a long view back up the pass.

They saw nothing there but earth and trees covered with snow.