Weston decided that they could probably see some distance across the timber from the crest of it, so they climbed up painfully.

They were gasping when they reached a ledge of rock a little below the summit, but that was not why they sat down.
Both shrank from the first momentous glimpse into the head of the valley, for if there were no lake there they had thrown away their toil and must drag themselves back to the settlements defeated and broken men.

It is hard to face defeat when one is young, and, perhaps, harder still when one is old and has nothing to fall back on.

Grenfell expressed part of his thoughts when he turned to his companion.
"We shall decide the thing in a few more minutes," he said.

"I suppose we couldn't risk going on a little farther to-morrow ?" Weston shook his head resolutely, though he felt the same temptation.
It was in one sense curious that the older man should defer to him.
"No," said Weston, "we should have turned back several days ago.