midnight
But before I could reach the horse , one of my own string , Bob Quirk had mounted him , when in testimony of the nutritive qualities of Dakota 's grasses , he arched his spine like a true Texan and outlined a worm-fence in bucking a circle . The start was made during the gathering dusk . Sponsilier further lifted the spirits of our employer , as we rode along , by a clear-cut description of the opposition cattle , declaring that had they ever equaled ours , the handling they had received since leaving Ogalalla , compared to his , would class them with short twos in the spring against long threes in the fall . Within an hour the stars shone out , and after following the river some ten miles , we bore directly north until Beaver Creek was reached near midnight . The pace was set at about an eight-mile , steady clip , with an occasional halt to tighten cinches or shift saddles . The horses were capable of a faster gait without tiring , but we were not sure of the route and were saving them for the finish after daybreak . Early in the night we were conscious that a frost was falling , and several times Sponsilier inquired if no one cared for a nip from his bottle .