noon
At first , they walked easily on the sloping ice . Then , as it grew steeper , he fastened the rope to the dog 's harness and advanced a little at a time , dragging Brave up after him . Soon he was forced to snub the rope with his ice-staff and chop steps with his hatchet . Toward noon -- at least he thought it was noon -- it began snowing again , and the valley below was blotted out in a swirl of white . They came to a narrow ledge , where they could rest , with a wall of ice rising sheerly above them . He would have to climb that alone , and then pull Brave up with the rope . He started working his way up the perpendicular face , clinging by the pick of his ice-staff , chopping footholds with the hatchet ; the pack and the slung rifle on his back pulled at him and threatened to drag him down .