the noon sun
He shot a glance about him as if in search of the inspiration . By now he was not quite half way across the northern and narrowest corner of Los Muertos , at this point some eight miles wide . He was still on the Home ranch . A few miles to the south he could just make out the line of wire fence that separated it from the third division ; and to the north , seen faint and blue through the haze and shimmer of the noon sun , a long file of telegraph poles showed the line of the railroad and marked Derrick 's northeast boundary . The road over which Presley was travelling ran almost diametrically straight . In front of him , but at a great distance , he could make out the giant live-oak and the red roof of Hooven 's barn that stood near it . All about him the country was flat .