noon
They thought the team must be miles away . John moved forward fully fifty feet , and Harry followed . Soon the wagon top came in sight , and Harry bounded along the blazed trail , with a cry , of relief . Jack 's lacerated shoulder was not as bad as had been anticipated , and toward noon the lameness was not so perceptible , so that , in order to save time , it was concluded to follow the blazed path , which could be made out easily , thus bringing them together fully three hours earlier than Harry had anticipated . Harry explained what had been seen to the west , and that three or four hours more of hard travel would bring them to an open country which , in all probability , led to the West River . All was eagerness now , and they pressed forward , hoping to be able to reach the open country before night set in . George 's patience in teaching Angel was most commendable .