Once he could stand erect, absolved of disgrace, a man again among men, he would ignore the uniform of the ranks, and go to her with all the pride of his race.
Ay! and down in his heart he knew that she would welcome his coming; that her eyes would not look at the uniform, but down into the depths of his own.
He thought of it all as he paced the floor, or stared into the fire, while outside the wind raged and howled, piling the snow against the cabin front, and whirling in mad bursts up the valley.

It would be death to face the fury of it on those open plains.

There was nothing left him but to swear, and pace back and forth.

Twice he and Hughes fought their way to the corral, found the horses sheltered in a little cove, and brought them food and water.

The struggle to accomplish this was sufficient proof of the impossibility of going farther.