The gorge was full of luminous gloom.

Balancing Rock loomed dark and leaned over the pale descent.
Transformed in the shadowy light, it took shape and dimensions of a spectral god waiting--waiting for the moment to hurl himself down upon the tottering walls and close forever the outlet to Deception Pass.

At night more than by day Venters felt something fearful and fateful in that rock, and that it had leaned and waited through a thousand years to have somehow to deal with his destiny.
"Old man, if you must roll, wait till I get back to the girl, and then roll!" he said, aloud, as if the stones were indeed a god.
And those spoken words, in their grim note to his ear, as well as contents to his mind, told Venters that he was all but drifting on a current which he had not power nor wish to stem.
Venters exercised his usual care in the matter of hiding tracks from the outlet, yet it took him scarcely an hour to reach Oldring's cattle.
Here sight of many calves changed his original intention, and instead of packing out meat he decided to take a calf out alive.

He roped one, securely tied its feet, and swung it over his shoulder.

Here was an exceedingly heavy burden, but Venters was powerful--he could take up a sack of grain and with ease pitch it over a pack-saddle--and he made long distance without resting.