noon
The deep-packed snow had lain , hard and solid and tempting , and the sun glittered coldly back into the windless air . Lorimer had been in high spirits . One of his old gay , infectious moods was upon him , and , for the passing hour , Thayer let himself yield to it until he forgot Beatrix , forgot the tragedy which overhung them all , forgot even the number of miles they had come . At noon , they had found a wood-choppers ' camp and , sitting around the blazing fire , they had mingled their daintily-packed lunch with the cruder fare of their temporary hosts . Lorimer had been the life of the party , and the good-bys had been spoken with real regret . At the top of the hill above the camp , Lorimer had turned back again to wave his cap in boyish farewell . Then the episode had ended , ended more completely than Thayer as yet could realize .