three o'clock
The savages were moving north , and so were they . It would be remarkably good fortune if they escaped running into some wandering band , or if some stray scout did not stumble upon their trail . So they continued to plod on . It was fully three o'clock when they attained to the bank of the Powder , and crouched among the rocks to wait for the shades of night to shroud their further advance . Murphy climbed the bluff for a wider view , bearing Hampton 's field-glasses slung across his shoulder , for the latter would not leave him alone with the horses . He returned finally to grunt out that there was nothing special in sight , except a shifting of those smoke signals to points farther north . Then they lay down again , Hampton smoking , Murphy either sleeping or pretending to sleep .