About ten o'clock
The nearest place at which any had been found was at Pike 's Peak , and that was over two hundred miles away . But Tom did n't know that , and the only thing that kept the cowboys from telling him of it was the fact that when he was in the mountains he would think he was doing something , but if he knew there was no gold to reward his search , he would give up in despair . It took our party five days to make the journey between the dugout and headquarters , for the cattle were slow of movement , and , besides , they were allowed to graze on the way . About ten o'clock a fierce winter wind , which made Tom bundle his overcoat closer about him and pull his collar up about his ears , sprung up from over the prairie , and the cattle ceased feeding and struck out for a canyon about a mile wide which opened close in front of them . Along this they held their way for five miles and better , until it finally emerged into a broad natural prairie , large enough , Tom thought , to pasture all the cattle in the country , and went to feeding with one of the herds . The air was soft and balmy , and Tom 's overcoat was resting across the horn of his saddle . Mr. Parsons pulled up his horse and gazed around him with a smile of satisfaction .