noon
The eyes of Martha Bissell clouded with long-suppressed tears . `` God bless you , Juliet , '' she said . `` I ca n't live without him any longer . '' It was noon and the great column of parched animals and hot , dusty men had come to a halt under their alkali cloud beside a little stream . The foot-weary sheep and cattle , without the usual preliminaries , lay down where they stood , relieved for once from the incessant nipping of the dogs and proddings of the men . Sims , walking among the sheep with down-drawn brows , noted their condition , how gaunt they were , how dirty and weary , and shook his head in commiseration . Had he but known it he was as gaunt and worn-looking as the weakest of them .