noon
Now Jack and Firio were coming into a region of more stunted vegetation , and soon the two figures emerged into a stretch of gray carpet on which they were as clearly silhouetted as a white sail on a green sea . `` Very thick sand there -- five or six miles of it . It make this the long way , '' said Firio . `` They call it the apron of hell to fools who ride at noon . '' `` And beyond that how many miles to the water-hole ? '' `` Five or six . '' But Firio knew a way around where the going was good .