noon
How I wished I had taken Tucker 's prudent advice ! But it was too late to help it now . `` What troubled me most was not the cold , or the driving snow in my face , but the slow pace at which progress was now possible . I had hoped to reach Culverton by noon , but by noon I had accomplished scarcely two - thirds of the distance , and every moment the difficulties of the way were increasing . My horse trudged on gallantly . The trot had long since given place to a walk , and the walk in turn often became a sheer struggle for progress through the drifts and obstacles of the uncertain road . `` As for me , I was nearly frozen in my saddle , and more than once was compelled to dismount and tramp along beside my horse in the deep snow in order to keep the blood going in my veins .