noon
Single file , wearing the space cloths once more as protection against the sun , they walked along the bank of the canal . When the heat became unbearable , they dipped the squares of space cloths into the water and wrapped themselves in them . When they began to dry out , they would repeat the process . At noon , when the sun dried the fabric nearly as fast as they could wet it , they stopped and slipped over the edge of the bank into the cool water . Covering their heads with the cloths they remained partly submerged until the late afternoon . When the sun had lost some of its power , again they climbed out and continued walking . Marching late into the night , they made camp beside the canal , finished the last container of food , and , for the first time since leaving the ship , slept during the night .