"But I think both sides are afraid to try it." "You're right, Langdon," said Captain Sherburne, "It's a case of checkmate.

I confess that I don't know what to do." "We could wait here while they waited too, and if we waited long enough it would get so dark we couldn't see each other.

But captain, you are a kind-hearted and sympathetic man, do you see any fun in sitting in the snow on top of a mountain, waiting to kill men whom you don't want to kill or to be killed by men who don't want to kill you ?" "No, Tom, I don't," replied Captain Sherburne with a laugh, "and you're talking mighty sound sense.

This is not like a regular battle.

We've nothing to gain by shooting those men, and they've nothing to gain by shooting us.