noon
We knew we could not travel by night , not knowing what road to take ; and , as we were close to water , we resolved to stay where we were until morning . `` We were up before day , and , having cooked and eaten our breakfast , moved forward upon the track made by the caravan . We wondered that none of our companions had come back during the night -- as this is usual in such cases , -- but we expected _ every _ moment to meet some of them returning to look after us . We travelled on , however , until noon , and still none of them appeared . We could see before us a rough tract of country with rocky hills , and some trees growing in the valleys ; and the trail we were following evidently led among these . `` As we pushed forward , we heard among the hills a loud crashing report like the bursting of a bombshell . What could it mean ?