noon
The light was fine , so I set and focused the camera and covered it with branches , attached the long hose , and went away over a hundred feet and hid in some bushes to wait . A short , stout man and a tall , dark one passed me so closely I almost could have reached out and touched them . They carried a big saw on their shoulders . They said they could work until near noon , and then they must lay off until you passed and then try to load and get out at night . They went on -- not entirely from sight -- and began cutting a tree . Mr. McLean told me the other day what would probably happen here , and if they fell that tree he loses his wager on you . Keep to the east and north and hustle .