midday
Together they covered the distance swiftly , running whenever the snow and his strength permitted it . For Kalus knew the tiger had set out the night before , and he had only the daylight to find it . If only its hunt had been successful . * It was perhaps midday when he stood at the top of the same long hill , looking down with lesser eyes upon the valley and the clearing by the stream . He had begun to despair of his chances , knowing it would take nearly the rest of the day just to make his way back to the warmth and safety of the cave . Almost he had let the hill turn him back . But he , too , felt the stubborn need to persevere .