nearly noon
The sight of Texas , green and fertile , with much forest along the streams was very pleasant to Ned , and those rough frontiersmen in buckskin who rode with him were the very men whom he had chosen . He had been in a great city , and he had talked with men in brilliant uniforms , but there everything seemed old , so far away in thought and manner from the Texans , and he could never believe the words of the men in brilliant uniforms . There , the land itself looked ancient and worn , but here it was fresh and green , and men spoke the truth . They rode until nearly noon , when they stopped in a fine grove of oaks and pecans by the side of a clear creek . The grass was also rich and deep here , and they did not take the trouble to tether their horses . Ned was exceedingly glad to dismount as he was stiff and sore from the long ride , and he was also as hungry as a wolf . `` Lay down on the grass , Ned , an ' stretch yourself , '' said Karnes .