noon
`` I 'm willin ' t ' chew my own words , and if I am willin ' there ai n't no kick comin ' from you ! '' The following day Ross wrote another letter to Leslie 's father and enclosed the note he had found pinned in his pocket . This letter he entrusted to Wilson to mail in Cody , for Wilson was going to Butte for a few weeks before beginning his winter 's work on his coal claims . He stopped at noon to bid Weimer and Ross good-bye . `` Nothin ' would hire me t ' stay over here all winter , '' were his last words to Ross . Although the latter had seen but little of the prospector , his departure made the valley seem lonelier than ever , and caused Ross to cling desperately to the idea of the McKenzies remaining . As the days passed , and more snow fell , the brothers began to get decidedly uneasy .