midday
So , while Gloria 's eager tongue tripped along as busily as the brooks they forded , he was for the most part silent . An extended arm to point out a big snow-plant , blood-red against a little heap of snow , was as eloquent as the spoken word . Thus he indicated much that might have passed unnoticed by Gloria , keenly enjoying her lively admiration . To-day he chose always the easier trails , since with the good horses under them they had ample time to come to Loony Honeycutt 's place well before midday . Also they stopped frequently , King making an excuse of showing her points of interest ; the tiny valley where one could be sure of a glimpse of a brown bear , the grazing-lands of mountain deer , the pass into the cliff-bound hiding-place of the picturesque highwaymen of an earlier day whence they drove stolen horses into Nevada , where they secreted other horses stolen in Nevada and to be disposed of down in the Sacramento Valley . There lasted until this very day the ruins of their rock house , snuggled into the mountains under their lookout-point . `` It would be fun , '' said Gloria , the spell of the wilderness mysteries upon her , her eyes half wistful and altogether serious , `` to be lost out here .