nearly
noon
One who has never tried the experiment can not realize the care necessary in walking through the woods not to displace a leaf or break a twig , which would attract the attention of a wary savage . Rodney succeeded so well that , after he had gone nearly half a mile and came to a dense clump of underbrush , he decided it would be safe to hide there and sleep . He believed the Indians would think he had fled in the direction of the Ohio River , and , seeing his footprints on the bank , would follow down stream . He could not remember when he had been so tired and soon was in a sound slumber , not waking till nearly noon . He was very hungry but found a spring of sweet water and some checkerberry leaves , and , thus refreshed , continued his flight . He did not rest again till nightfall . He had seen no game save squirrels and , having but one load for his rifle , hesitated to waste that on small game .