Progress was rather difficult.

They were skirting a wood, and the trailers of a great scarlet-flowered bean and a climbing cucumber smothered the ground, canopied the trees, and swarmed over the rocks.

He could not distinguish these hindrances in the darkness, but he soon found that he must walk warily.

As for the effort entailed by his forlorn burden he did not give a thought to it until Marcel indicated that he must stand fast.

The Brazilian went on, leaving Hozier breathless.