noon
A venison was shot and a fat camp for the night assured . The glare of the plain required early observation . The white haze , heat waves , and mirages were on every hand , blotting out distinct objects during the day . On leaving the friendly sand hills , the horsemen bore directly for the timber on the Republican , which was sighted the third morning , and reached the river by noon . No sign or trace of cattle was seen . The distance between the new and old trail was estimated at one hundred miles , and judging from their hours in the saddle , the scouts hoped to reach the new crossing on the river that evening . The mid-day glare prevented observations ; and as they followed the high ground along the Republican , at early evening indistinct objects were made out on the border of a distant mirage .