noon
Their things were quickly collected together and they were soon headed back to their point . With the passing of the excitement of the day , they all began to have vague alarms as to what might have happened during their absence , and to reproach themselves for leaving the place so long unguarded . Their reproaches were wasted , however , for they found everything as they had left it , save stuck in the bark of a pine tree near the fire , was the badly scrawled notice . `` Do n't forget to pull out from these diggin 's afore to-morrow noon . '' `` They evidently mean business , '' said Walter , as the hunters stood together reading the dirty , ill-written paper . `` And I 'm not so sure but what we would be wiser if we obeyed their warning , but I hate to run away from such a crowd , '' observed Charley gravely . `` I feel the same way , '' agreed Walter , `` but it would be cowardly to go now and leave the Seminoles to their fate . ''