noon
The man who does n't hoof it till then hears from me . '' He ordered Latisan to get onto the jumper seat beside him , slashed his horses with the whip , and led the way toward the north . There was no word between the two for many a mile . Near noon they arrived at a wayside baiting place , a log house in a clearing . They ate there and the horses were fed . There was plenty of snow in the woods and the first rains of April had iced the surface so that the slipping had been good . As if the chewing of food had unlocked Flagg 's close-set jaws , he talked a bit to Latisan after the meal and while the horses were put to the jumper .