one o'clock
At eight o'clock the sledge was ready . The passengers took their places , the sails were hoisted , and the vehicle sped over the snow at forty miles an hour . The distance between Fort Kearney and Omaha , as the crow flies , is two hundred miles at most . If the wind held they could reach Omaha by one o'clock , if no accident happened . What a journey it was ! The travellers huddled close together , unable to speak in consequence of the intense cold . The sledge glided over the snow like a boat on a lake , and when the wind rose it was almost lifted off the ground .