three o'clock until eight
He seemed to know how the land ought to lie , so that he was never deceived by appearances into entering a cul de sac . His beech ridges always led to other beech ridges ; his hardwood never petered out into the terrible black swamps . Sometimes Thorpe became sensible that they had commenced a long detour ; but it was never an abrupt detour , unforeseen and blind . From three o'clock until eight they walked continually without a pause , without an instant 's breathing spell . Then they rested a half hour , ate a little venison , and smoked a pipe . An hour after noon they repeated the rest . Thorpe rose with a certain physical reluctance .