on the other side, the fire would be between them and, shining in the
men's faces, prevent their seeing far. The trouble was, that the wood
behind the camp looked tangled and thick, and he doubted if he could get
through without making a noise. Something, however, must be risked, and
stealing across the opening to the next tree, he presently reached a
belt of thicker wood.

He could not be seen now, but he made a circuit round the fire before he
began to approach it from the other side. His progress was slow and he
felt anxious, because it was possible that the men had moved round the
fire while he struggled through the bush. Still he thought they had not
done so, because he had seen one throwing up a snow-bank behind which
they meant to sleep. They would probably cook their meal and sit down on
that side in the shelter of the bank. When he left the thick bush he saw
that his reasoning was good, but he had yet to get near enough and the
fire was burning well. There was not much wind, but the red blaze
leaped up and sank, throwing out clouds of sparks, while a trail of
smoke drifted about the camp. The resinous wood, however, crackled
fiercely and he hoped this would drown the noise he made.

There was nothing to hide him for some distance, and then a patch of
juniper scrub and some willows ran towards the camp. If he could reach
them he would be safe, and he crawled across the open space and lay
behind the first juniper while he got his breath. There was nothing to
indicate that the others had heard him, and a few minutes later he
stopped again at the edge of a gap where a fire had run through the
scrub. He could see the men, though he could not distinguish their
faces. One seemed to be looking in his direction, and Thirlwell felt his
heart beat but did not move. He had a background of dark bushes and it
was wiser to keep still than drop into the snow.