About noon
The night was a dismal , and for the most of the family , a sleepless one . The morning rose once more , but it brought no cheering sound of blessed rain-drops . The air was still hot and stifling . About noon , the missionary came in from a round of observation he had been making , and urged Mr. Dubois to take his family immediately to the south bank of the river . The fires were advancing towards them from the north , and would inevitably be upon them soon . He had not been able to discover any appearance of fire upon the southern side of the river . It was true the approaching flames might be driven across , but the stream being for some distance quite wide , this might not take place .