six o’clock
It was not deep . He wetted himself half-way to the knees before he floundered out to the firm crust . He was angry , and cursed his luck aloud . He had hoped to get into camp with the boys at six o'clock , and this would delay him an hour , for he would have to build a fire and dry out his foot-gear . This was imperative at that low temperature -- he knew that much ; and he turned aside to the bank , which he climbed . On top , tangled in the underbrush about the trunks of several small spruce trees , was a high-water deposit of dry firewood -- sticks and twigs principally , but also larger portions of seasoned branches and fine , dry , last-year 's grasses . He threw down several large pieces on top of the snow .