eight o'clock
The horse hurriedly entered and nickered for his feed . `` Yes , you shall have an extra ration of corn , '' answered his rider . `` And if you 'll just forgive me this once , the lesson you taught me to-night will never be forgotten . '' It proved to be early in the evening -- only eight o'clock . Even though the lesson was taught by a dumb animal , it was worth its cost . Before offering to sleep , Dell collected all the articles that were to make up the pack , foddered the horses , set the alarm forward an hour , and sought his blankets for a short rest . Several times the howling of the wind awoke him , and unable to sleep out the night , he arose and built a fire .