noon
He bitterly regretted that he had , for once , departed from his usual habit of simply and resolutely carrying out an obvious task without counting the cost . Still , he could write to Nasmyth , and to do that he must reach the Hudson Bay post on the morrow . He trudged on over the snow at a pace that kept Crestwick breathless . The bitter wind chilled them through in spite of their exertion , and it had increased by noon , when Lisle halted for a minute or two to look about him . They were in the bottom of a valley walled in by barren hills ; the bank of the frozen river was marked out by snow-covered stones , but none of them was large enough to rest behind , and one could not face the wind , motionless , in the open . While he stood , a stinging icy powder lashed his cheeks , and his hands grew stiff in their mittens . `` There 's not even a gulch we could sit down in , '' he said .