noon
He pulled on the mitten hastily , and beat the hand savagely across his chest . At twelve o'clock the day was at its brightest . Yet the sun was too far south on its winter journey to clear the horizon . The bulge of the earth intervened between it and Henderson Creek , where the man walked under a clear sky at noon and cast no shadow . At half-past twelve , to the minute , he arrived at the forks of the creek . He was pleased at the speed he had made . If he kept it up , he would certainly be with the boys by six .