noon
Progress was slow and time passed . For Joan , however , it was a relief ; and the slower they might travel the better she would like it . At the end of that journey there were Gulden and the others , and the gold-camp with its illimitable possibilities for such men . At noon the party halted for a rest . The camp site was pleasant and the men were all agreeable . During the meal Kells found occasion to remark to Cleve : `` Say youngster , you 've brightened up . Must be because of our prospects over here . ''