noon
All day they drove through the seeping rain -- drove north in Caleb 's buckboard , to turn off finally upon a woods trail that ran into the cast , along the lesser branch of the river . During the ride Steve 's bearing toward the third member of the party was too plain to escape notice , for he never looked at nor directed a word to Allison unless it was in reply to a direct question , and then his answers were almost monosyllabic . But Allison , who , as usual , gave his undivided attention to the country through which they were passing , in attitude toward the boy was even more remarkable . Once when they had halted at noon he pointed out a hillside of pine , black beneath the rain , close-clustered and of mastlike straightness . `` There 's a wonderful stand of pine , Cal , '' he remarked . `` I 'd venture to say that it would cut at least two million feet . '' Instantly , although the remark was addressed to him , Caleb knew that it was Stephen 's comment for which Allison was angling .