"Your idea for riding the returning tide was an excellent one.  It would very likely have picked up the [Bag of Holding], I now think, if its location were confined to the river we are walking."

"The [Outer God] has correspondingly sent us to a place that is very thoroughly honeycombed with underground lakes and rivers.  And while we should try things the easy way first, I will be surprised if the [Bag of Holding] is not now in one of those instead."

Maybe they would have been better off just not looking for the bag until the Outer God's game had reached a plausible conclusion.

"Your idea for riding the returning tide was an excellent one.  I would very likely have picked up the [Bag of Holding], I now think, if its location were confined to the river we are walking."

"The [Outer God] has correspondingly sent us to a place that is very thoroughly honeycombed with underground lakes and rivers.  And while we should try things the easy way first, I will be surprised if the [Bag of Holding] is not now in one of those instead."

Maybe they would have been better off just not looking for the bag until the Outer God's game had reached a plausible conclusion.

"Your idea for riding the returning tide was an excellent one.  I would very likely have picked up the [Bag of Holding], I now think, if its location were confined to the river we are walking."

"The [Outer God] has correspondingly sent us to a place that is very thoroughly honeycombed with underground lakes and rivers.  And while we should try things the easy way first, I will be surprised if the [Bag of Holding] is not now in one of those instead."