Still the bear occupied the ravine, and so long as she remained there, there was no possible chance of their getting back to camp.

They saw, however, that they could do nothing better than wait for the night, in hopes that the darkness might bring about something in their favour.
Night soon came on, but not darkness.

It chanced to be a clear moonlight; and they saw at once that it would then be quite as perilous to go down the ravine as it had been during the day.

They could hear the snorting and growling of the monster below; and they knew she still held the pass.

Should they attempt to descend, she would discover them long before they could get down.