noon
In the morning he was surprised to find that the foot was painful and that the back of his leg felt strained . He would have been tempted to remain in camp only that his provisions were nearly exhausted , and after a meager breakfast he resumed the march . The bottom of the valley was level , the timber thin , but there was a good deal of brush to be struggled through and before long he was forced to take to the winding river . By noon it cost him a determined effort to walk , for his foot was extremely painful and his leg getting sore . As he did not know how far off the camp was , it seemed prudent to save the food he had left , and he limped on , his lips tight-set . The snow-covered ice was smooth , but the bends of the river increased the distance wofully ; there was a keen wind , and the dark pines stretched on without a break as far as he could see . As he entered each fresh loop of the stream he looked eagerly for an opening or sign of life , but there were only rows of ragged spires , cutting sharply against the sky .