"My dear fellow," said James, "what do you take me for?" Those bright, all-seeing, steady eyes were fixed upon him. They had the air of knowing everything. "Well, you knew what I _did_ take you for, anyhow, and so it would have been reasonable--" "We won't talk about all that," James said. "Let me cover you up with something--and then I'll see what can be done about moving you." Urquhart spoke indifferently about that. "I doubt if you can get down--and it's a good step to Odde. Four hours, I dare say." "Yes, but there would be a house nearer than Odde. If I could get some bearers--we'd get you comfortable before dark." "Oh, I'm comfortable enough now," Urquhart said. James thought that a bad sign. He unpacked the rucksacks, got out the brandy-flask, a mackintosh, a sweater and a cape. "Now, my dear man, I'm going to hurt you, I'm afraid; but I must have you on a dry bed; and you must drink some of this liquor. Which will you have first?" "The brandy," said Urquhart, "and as soon as you like." He helped as much as he could, groaned once or twice, sweated with the effort; but the thing was done. He lay on the mackintosh, his head on a rucksack, the cape and sweater over him. Macartney went to the edge of the plateau to prospect. A billowy sea of white stretched out to a blue infinity. The clouds had lifted or been vaporised. He could see nothing of Odde; but he believed that he could make out a thread of silver, which must be the fiord. It would take him too long to get out there and back--and yet to stay here! That meant that the pair of them would die. It is but just to him to say that no alternative presented itself to him. The pair of them would die? Well, yes. What else was there? He returned. Urquhart was waiting for him, intensely awake to everything. "Old chap," said James, "that's no go. I didn't try the snow; but I can judge distances. It's a deuce of a way down, even if there _is_ a way, and--" "It's all right," Urquhart said, "there isn't a way. I'm cornered this time. But there's just a chance for you--if you work at it. It'll begin to freeze--in fact, it has begun already. Now if you can find the shovel, you might employ yourself finely, digging a stairway. You'll be up by midnight." "Never mind about me," James said. "I'm going to keep you warm first." But Urquhart was fretting. He frowned and moved his head about. "No, no, don't begin that. It's not worth it--and I can't have you do it. You ought to know who I am before you begin the Good Samaritan stunt. I want to talk to you while I can. I've got a good deal to tell you. That will be better for me than anything." Jimmy was prepared for something of the kind. "I believe it will," he said. "Go on, then, and get it over." It had been his first impulse to assure the poor chap that he knew all about it; but a right instinct stopped him. He would have to hear it.