about two in the morning
About three o'clock in the afternoon they again took up the trail , and followed it at a gallop . They reached the peak just before dark , and found abundant evidence that the Indians had recently camped there . The troopers halted here too to get a little rest and a wink of sleep , but at nine o'clock they were once more on the move . The next halt was made about two in the morning , and at daylight they were again in their saddles and riding ahead as rapidly as ever . The trail led them along the borders of the Staked Plains , giving some of the troopers , who had never before scouted so far in this direction , their first view of that desolate region . A gloomy-looking place it was . As far as their eyes could reach they could see nothing but sandhills , with stunted weeds and clumps of grass which seemed to be struggling hard to maintain a foothold in the arid soil .