nine o'clock
A muskeg berry is a bit of seed enclosed in a bit of water . In the mouth the water melts away and the seed chews sharp and bitter . The man knew there was no nourishment in the berries , but he chewed them patiently with a hope greater than knowledge and defying experience . At nine o'clock he stubbed his toe on a rocky ledge , and from sheer weariness and weakness staggered and fell . He lay for some time , without movement , on his side . Then he slipped out of the pack-straps and clumsily dragged himself into a sitting posture . It was not yet dark , and in the lingering twilight he groped about among the rocks for shreds of dry moss .