noon
The coyotes and wildcat that had taken refuge there hardly noticed his presence in the face of the coming danger . Half an hour or more of stifling smoke and burning heat and he dared to leave his place in the spring . About the meadow some of the trees were burning clear to their tops , and great logs were blazing everywhere , but the force of the fire was spent and had gone on past him and he was left as on an island in midocean . It was far past noon . Perhaps the _ patron _ would come today . He found the shovel and dug up the buried tent with its precious contents and made a hasty meal of bread and meat . Then , taking a piece of the meat for the faithful Pancho , he struck out into the blackened area about him to find the sheep which he had left to the dog 's care that morning .