The mountains towered between them and their old enemies, but also between them and escape.
There was no way up or down or out--they simply had to stay there.

Some were for suicide, but not the majority.

They must have been a plucky lot, as a whole, and they decided to live--as long as they did live.
Of course they had hope, as youth must, that something would happen to change their fate.
So they set to work, to bury the dead, to plow and sow, to care for one another.
Speaking of burying the dead, I will set down while I think of it, that they had adopted cremation in about the thirteenth century, for the same reason that they had left off raising cattle--they could not spare the room.

They were much surprised to learn that we were still burying--asked our reasons for it, and were much dissatisfied with what we gave.

We told them of the belief in the resurrection of the body, and they asked if our God was not as well able to resurrect from ashes as from long corruption.