midnight
He arose , stretched his limbs , and then took an easy position on the front of the ledge , where he could look below . Evidently the hunter was waiting for something . The dog slept on . It was the noonday hour , when the stillness of the forest almost matched that of midnight . The birds were more quiet than at any other time during daylight . Wetzel reclined there with his head against the stone , and his rifle resting across his knees . He listened now to the sounds of the forest .