noon
We 'll try it -- and God help us , if we do n't keep the river . '' The skin of the lynx was cut into strips and fashioned into a rawhide line which Bill made fast to their belts , leaving plenty of slack to allow free use of the rackets . The rifle was left in the cave , and , muffled to the ears , the two stepped out into the storm . Bill judged it to be well after noon when a sudden tightening of the line brought him to an abrupt halt . Many times during the long hours in which they forged slowly ahead had the line gone taut as the boy fell in the snow , but each time it was followed by a wriggling and tugging , and the youngster scrambled gamely to his feet and floundered on in the wake of his big friend . But this time Carmody waited in vain for the movement of the line that would tell him that the boy was regaining his feet -- the line remained taut , and Bill turned and groped in the snow . He lifted the boy to his feet , but the small body sagged limply against his own , and the head rolled weakly .