noon
And Alroy arose , and he took his turban and unfolded it , and knelt and prayed . And then he ate of the dates , and drank of the fountain , and , full of confidence in the God of Israel , the descendant of David pursued his flight . He now commenced the ascent of the mountainous chain , a wearisome and painful toil . Two hours past noon he reached the summit of the first ridge , and looked over a wild and chaotic waste full of precipices and ravines , and dark unfathomable gorges . The surrounding hills were ploughed in all directions by the courses of dried-up cataracts , and here and there a few savage goats browsed on an occasional patch of lean and sour pasture . This waste extended for many miles ; the distance formed by a more elevated range of mountains , and beyond these , high in the blue sky , rose the loftiest peaks of Elburz , -LSB- 8 -RSB- shining with sharp glaciers of eternal snow . It was apparent that Alroy was no stranger in the scene of his flight .