noon
Her rather shabby attire and scanty baggage hinted that she had not been used to affluence ; but she showed signs of possessing a vigorous , well-trained mind , and he decided that she must have been a teacher . When they reached the top of the ascent , she mounted and they went on among scattered clumps of pines and across a tableland as fast as he could travel , because it seemed prudent to place as long a distance as possible between them and the settlement . He had left the place with a valuable horse and saddle which he had not paid for , and he was very dubious whether the livery-stable keeper would be satisfied with the promises he had left . Accordingly he only stopped for half an hour at noon ; and evening was near when he helped the girl down and picketed the horse beside a small birch bluff , and set up the tent . `` There are provisions in my pack and you might lay out supper , but I do n't think we 'll make a fire to-night , '' he said . `` I 'll be back in about half an hour ; I want to see what lies beyond the top of yonder ridge . '' She let him go , and he climbed between slender birches to the summit of a long rise , where he lay down and lighted his pipe .