four o'clock before
` Well , yer here , kid , an ' I s ` pose Old Hal 's got to see yeh through wit it , so thet worritin ' mother of yourn 'll see yeh agin , some day . ' And he swung the whip over the horses ' heads with a crack that saved me from his ire . `` We came to a bad grade then , and Old Hal had to keep a wary eye on the trail , for the horses were not as sure-footed as the dogs and deer . `` It must have been four o'clock before we halted . The air was growing colder as we advanced , and I was glad enough to open my pack for a chunk of bread and a slice of bacon . '' ` Hist , kid , stow that away ! ' whispered Hal , as he began to unhitch the horses for the night .