noon
She would never come to cheer his home , and he would always have to live a lonely life -- for he knew in his heart there was only one girl in the whole world he would want to ask to come , and her he might not , must not ask . As endless and as desolate as his desert his future lay stretched out before his mind . For the time his beloved work and the joy of service was sunk out of sight , and he saw only himself , alone , forsaken of all love , walking his sorrowful way apart ; and there surged over him a great and deadly weakness as of a spirit in despair . In this mind he lay down to rest in the shadow of a great rock about the noon hour , too weary in spirit and exhausted in body to go further without a sleep . The faithful Billy dozed and munched his portion not far away ; and high overhead a great eagle soared high and far , adding to the wide desolateness of the scene . Here he was alone at last for the first time with his grief , and for a while it had its way , and he faced it ; entering into his Gethsemane with bowed spirit and seeing nothing but blackness all about him . It was so , worn with the anguish of his spirit , that he fell asleep .