about nine o'clock at night
Twilight had faded into dusk before we reached a divide which we had had in sight for several hours , and which we had hoped to gain in time to sight the timber on Powder River before dark . But as we put mile after mile behind us , that divide seemed to move away like a mirage , and the evening star had been shining for an hour before we finally reached it , and sighted , instead of Powder 's timber , the campfire of our outfit about five miles ahead . We fired several shots on seeing the light , in the hope that they might hear us in camp and wait ; otherwise we knew they would start the herd with the rising of the moon . When we finally reached camp , about nine o'clock at night , everything was in readiness to start , the moon having risen sufficiently . Our shooting , however , had been heard , and horses for a change were tied to the wagon wheels , while the remainder of the _ remuda _ was under herd in charge of Rod Wheat . The runaways were thrown into the horse herd while we bolted our suppers . Meantime McCann informed us that Flood had ridden that afternoon to the Powder River , in order to get the lay of the land .