noon
Why not undertake a prospecting trip on her own account ? There was a spare shovel , pick , and pan , and she had bored holes in frozen gravel before . She decided to harness up the sled and put her plan into execution . At noon she started off with her team on the eight-mile journey . A close study of the map had convinced her that by taking the overland route she would save at least two miles either way . But her knowledge of maps was not great , and she entirely neglected to take into consideration the contour markings , which would immediately have warned any experienced traveler against such a passage . The trail led up over a big hill and down a ravine , and for a mile or two was good `` going . ''