noon
It 's queer that this is so , but it 's a fact . Those men have no regular homes , although many often talk of settling down . Generally they die with their boots on , as the saying goes . '' By noon the party had covered fifteen miles and were well into the hills . They came to a rest beside a fine spring which flowed from a split in the rocks . Near at hand was some dense brushwood , and old Benson rightfully guessed that it would not be difficult to beat up some birds . `` You can now try your luck at aiming , '' he said to the boys , and led the way into the dense growth .