Only the weight of the men and the water in it prevented it from oversetting.
Dense darkness fell upon them and although they could see no star, they knew that it must be night.

On they rushed, driven by that shrieking gale, and all about and around them this wall of darkness.

No one spoke, for hope was abandoned, and if they had, their voices could not have been heard.

The last thing that Alan remembered was feeling Jeekie dragging a grass mat over him to protect him a little if he could.

Then his senses wavered, as does a dying lamp.