Chapter XXXII - XXXV Summary

Having lost all trace of the road, the members of the party concludes they are completely lost in the snow storm and decide to camp out for the night. They try to start a fire by shooting at a pile of sage bush, but only succeed in scaring their horses away. They then burn their last four matches. It appears as though their death is imminent, and they all start crying. They hug each other and forgive their respective vices. They go to sleep convinced that this will be their last rest.

The unconscious narrator is awakened by Mr. Ballou, who says that they had fallen asleep just a few steps from a stage station, where their horses were waiting for them. Turning their back on their previous repentance, the men succumb to the vices that they...