about twelve o'clock
Each time he was compelled to mount again and ride on to his father , `` Chips . '' When bunch-grass gets to be so dry that it will crumble in the fingers it ceases to be of any use except to carry a prairie-fire in a great hurry . It will do that wonderfully , but it will not do to feed animals on , and it was needful to have something better . When a halt was called , at about twelve o'clock , and a rest of two hours was decided on , the barrels of water in the wagons were drawn upon for only a moderate ration all around , and the animals plainly testified their eagerness for more . They were not at all distressed as yet , but they would have been if they had done that amount of work under sunshine . When the moment for again setting out arrived and the word was given , Judge Parks inquired , `` Pine , where is Sile ? '' `` Where ?