midday
They occasionally passed some gaunt tree , and sometimes flocks of wild birds rose about them , or a band of starving wolves pursued the sledge . On these occasions Passe-partout , revolver in hand , was ready to fire on those which came too near . Had an accident happened , the wolves would have made short work of the travellers ; but the sledge held on its course , and soon left the howling brutes behind . At midday Mudge thought they were crossing the Platte River . He said nothing , but he was sure that Omaha was only twenty miles farther on . And in fact in less than an hour their skilful steersman left the helm and hauled down his sails , while the sledge ran on with its acquired impetus . At length it stopped , and Mudge , pointing to a cluster of snow-covered houses , said , `` Here we are ! ''