about five o'clock
Their morale , he plainly saw , had been markedly improved by his few words . And , now filled with hot , new hope , once more he led the painful march , his binoculars every few minutes swinging round the far horizon in a vain attempt to sight the longed for height . But other events were destined and were written on the book of fate . For , as they topped a high ridge about five o'clock that afternoon -- dragging themselves along , parched and spent , rather than marching -- Allan made a halt for careful observations from this vantage-post . The men sank down , eager to lie prone even for a few minutes on the ash-covered soil , to hide their eyes and pant like hard-run hunting dogs . Allan himself felt hardly the strength to remain upright ; but he forced himself to stand there , and with a tremendous effort held the glass true as it slowly scoured the sky-line to north and west . All at once he uttered a choking cry .