midnight
In this respect Kennedy remained more pessimistic than I , yet even in his mind confidence began to dawn that we had outstripped our enemies , both white and red , and that a few miles more must bring us in safety to some pioneer settlement . The poor condition of our horses compelled us to rest frequently , and our own utter exhaustion led to our dropping asleep almost the moment we halted . We were without food , and in no mood to converse . Shortly after midnight my horse strained a tendon , and could no longer uphold my weight . On foot , with the poor beast limping painfully behind me , I pressed on beside Eloise , both of us silent , too utterly wearied with the strain for any attempt at speech . The early dawn found us plodding along close beside the creek , a fair sized stream , which meandered quietly through a beautiful valley protected on either side by high bluffs , rising to the plateau of prairie beyond . The bluffs themselves were wooded , but the lower expanse was open , covered with luxuriant grass , and containing only an occasional tree , like some lone sentinel , diversifying the landscape with the darker coloring of its leaves .