Murray put down the paddle and beat his hands. The canoe went swiftly down the dark river, but only the channel the current cut was open, and the banks were fringed with ice. White trees rolled by indistinctly, and for a few minutes all in front was dark. Then the moon pierced the clouds, the angry water sparkled and Murray looked about.
At the edge of the channel the ice was not yet firm, but he thought one could reach the bank. Although Murray did not want to stop, he admitted they ought to camp. When the moon was covered, the night was dark, and rocks blocked the channel. The canoe carried an awkward load, and the hand-sledge embarrassed its occupants. Moreover, Murray’s wet clothes had begun to freeze, and although Fothergill and Spence did not grumble, he knew they had had enough. Th
