nearly 10 o'clock
Considerable pine and hemlock grew on all sides , but as yet they encountered no snow . There was plenty of it farther up and beyond , and it would not take them long to reach the region where eternal winter reigned . A short way along the new course , and they paused before another break ; but although the ground was dry and hard , it was easy to follow the course of the burro , whose hoofs told the story ; and though nothing served to indicate that the men were still with him , the fact of the three being in company might be set down as self-evident . It would not be dark until nearly 10 o'clock , so the pursuers still had a goodly number of hours before them . A peculiar fact annoyed the boys more than would be supposed . The trail was continually winding in and out , its turns so numerous that rarely or never were they able to see more than a few rods in advance . In places the winding was incessant .