nearly noon
Robert and Tayoga were but two motes , lost in the vast wilderness , which had returned to its primeval state , and the Indians themselves , whether hostile or friendly , sought their villages and lodges and were willing to leave the war trail untrodden until the months of storm and bitter cold had passed . Robert slept heavily . His labors in preparation for the winter had been severe and unremitting , and his nerves had been keyed very high by the arrival of the bears and the singular quality in the air . Now , nature claimed her toll , and he did not awake until nearly noon , Tayoga having preceded him a half hour . The Onondaga stood at the door of the cave , looking over the stones that closed its lower half . Fresh air poured in at the upper half , but Robert saw there only a whitish veil like a foaming waterfall . `` The time o ' day , Sir Tayoga , Knight of the Great Forest , '' he said lightly and cheerfully .