noon
And each man there had his skids and his bow and quiver , and whatso other weapon , as short-sword , or wood-knife , or axe , seemed good to him . So they went out-a-gates , and clomb the stairway in the cliff which led to the ancient watch-tower : for it was on the lower slopes of the fells which lay near to the Weltering Water that they looked to find the elks , and this was the nighest road thereto . When they had gotten to the top they lost no time , but went their ways nearly due east , making way easily where there were but scattered trees close to the lip of the sheer cliffs . They went merrily on their skids over the close-lying snow , and were soon up on the great shoulders of the fells that went up from the bank of the Weltering Water : at noon they came into a little dale wherein were a few trees , and there they abided to eat their meat , and were very merry , making for themselves tables and benches of the drifted snow , and piling it up to windward as a defence against the wind , which had now arisen , little but bitter from the south-east ; so that some , and they the wisest , began to look for foul weather : wherefore they tarried the shorter while in the said dale or hollow . But they were scarcely on their way again before the aforesaid south-east wind began to grow bigger , and at last blew a gale , and brought up with it a drift of fine snow , through which they yet made their way , but slowly , till the drift grew so thick that they could not see each other five paces apart . Then perforce they made stay , and gathered together under a bent which by good luck they happened upon , where they were sheltered from the worst of the drift . There they abode , till in less than an hour 's space the drift abated and the wind fell , and in a little while after it was quite clear , with the sun shining brightly and the young waxing moon white and high up in the heavens ; and the frost was harder than ever .