noon
Let us hasten on . It was the thirteenth day out . The trail had crossed nearly the whole of the Indian Territory , and were within one day 's march of Fort Farthermost , on the Texan frontier . They had passed the previous night at Fort W. , and at sunrise they had crossed the Rio Negro , and before noon they had made nearly a score of miles toward their destination . They halted beside a little stream that took its rise in a spring among the rocks on the right hand of the trail . Here the party meant to rest for two hours before resuming the march to Fort Farthermost , which they hoped to reach that same night . As usual at the noon rest , mules and horses were unharnessed and led down to the stream to be watered and fed .