Yet he must accept the chance, now that he knew the way to be clear.

He held her tightly in both arms, his revolver thrust back into its holster.

Bending as low as he could with his burden, feeling carefully through the darkness before advancing a foot, he moved steadily forward.

Where the gully deepened their heads were at the edge of the bank, but much of the way was exposed, except for the dark shadows of the slope.

Fortunately there were clouds to the west, already obscuring that half of the sky, but to the east nothing was visible against the faint luminousness of the sky-line.