noon
But it was a vast region , and the Indians could not be everywhere . Neale and King took chances , as had all these travelers , though perhaps the risk was not so great , because they rode fleet horses . They discovered no signs of Indians , and it appeared as if they were alone in a wilderness . They covered sixty miles from early dawn to dark , with a short rest at noon , and reached Fort Fetterman safely without incident or accident . Troops were there , but none of the U. P. engineering staff . Neale did not meet any soldiers with whom he was acquainted . Orders were there for him , however , to report to North Platte as soon as it was possible to reach there .