noon
Billy 's businesslike manner heartened Jack and John DeWitt . They turned in beside Carlos , who already was sleeping . Dawn found them examining the ascents on the south side of the mesa but they found no traces and as the sun came well up they followed the only possible way toward the mountains . At noon they found a low spring in a pocket between mesa and mountain . Kut-le was growing either defiant or careless , for he had left a heap of ashes and a pile of half-eaten desert mice . Very much cheered they allowed the horses a fair rest . They found no further traces of camp or trail that day and made camp that night in the open desert .