about noon
`` Ef this keeps up , Felton and his gang will never be able to find us again . '' Despite the great dangers of the advance they pushed on upward until they came to a region that Will believed must be above the clouds . At least , it was free there from both rain and snow , and below him he saw such vast areas of mists and vapors that the top of the ridge seemed to swim in the air . It was now about noon , and , at last , finding a nearly level place , they sank down upon it , exhausted . Nevertheless , the Little Giant was cheerful . `` I 'm clean furgittin ' all ` bout that gold , '' he said , `` my time now bein ' devoted mostly to foot races , tryin ' to beat out Indians , outlaws an ' all sorts o ' desprit characters , in which I hev been successful so fur . My real trade jest now is that o ' runner an ' mounting climber , an ' I expect to git a gold medal fur the same . ''