midnight
This time Rhoda forced herself to eat . Then she drank deeply of the bitter water and lay down on the cold ground . Despite the fact that she was shivering with the cold , she fell asleep at once . Toward midnight she awoke and moving close to Molly 's broad back for warmth , she looked up into the sky . For the first time the great southern stars seemed near and kindly to her and before she fell asleep again she wondered why . At earliest peep of dawn the squaws were astir waiting for Kut-le , who shortly staggered into camp with a load of meat on his shoulder . Alchise was with him .