noon
Douglas drew his ax and prepared to roughen a trail over the ice for the horses . But to his unspeakable delight , he had not gone far when he discovered that another ax and other horses had gone over the ice before him . He was grinning cheerfully as he sheathed his ax and took Tom 's reins in hand . It was noon when he reached the Pass . Sheer red walls to the right , rising to the hovering top of Black Devil . Still the sickening canyon depths to the left . To the south , myriad peaks , a whole world of peaks , snow-covered , serene .