noon
They had passed the previous night at Fort W. , and at sunrise they had crossed the Rio Negro , and before noon they had made nearly a score of miles toward their destination . They halted beside a little stream that took its rise in a spring among the rocks on the right hand of the trail . Here the party meant to rest for two hours before resuming the march to Fort Farthermost , which they hoped to reach that same night . As usual at the noon rest , mules and horses were unharnessed and led down to the stream to be watered and fed . Fires were built and rustic cranes improvised to hang the pots and kettles gypsy style . Since the first day out old Martha had been constituted cook and old John butler to our party . In a short time Martha had prepared such a hot dinner as was practicable under the circumstances , and John had laid the cloth .