one o'clock
On , on he rode , urging his horse as rapidly as it was possible for him to go over the rocky , broken trail . Two hours ' ride brought him no nearer , apparently , to the comrades he was pursuing . Three hours ' ride brought him down into the valley of Chevelon Fork and half way through the range . It was not until one o'clock that he found himself at such a point that he could look forward and see part of the country toward the Colorado Chiquito ; but not a vestige of the cavalry or pack-train was anywhere in sight , and his horse was now so weary that he could only answer with a groan the touch of the spur , and could not by any possibility accelerate his speed . Two o'clock came , and the anxious father found himself , he knew not how many miles away from Sunset Pass , -- away from the children so anxiously praying for him , and awaiting his coming . He was growing faint from long fasting , and the horse was so jaded that the captain dismounted and was fairly towing him along behind him with the bridle rein . In this way they had slowly and painfully climbed a steep and rocky ascent where the trail seemed to make a short cut across a deep bend of the stream , and reaching the summit they stopped to rest , panting hard with fatigue .