midday on Thursday
Once they came upon some ptarmigans , white as the snow upon which they stood . Their `` grub bag '' received several of the birds , which were very tame and easily shot . A hurried march brought them to the first tilt at noon , where they had dinner , and that night , shortly after dark , they reached the second tilt , thirty miles from their starting point . At midday on Thursday they came to the end of the trail . When they had had dinner of fried ptarmigan and tea , Bill announced : `` I 'll be leavin ' ye now , Bob . In two weeks from Friday we 'll be meetin ' in th ' river tilt . '' `` All right , an ' I 'll be there . ''