noon
Three times did it sound . The scout listened till the last echo died away , and then , with his hands gathered about his mouth , answered the call . Quietly he slipped away into the night , the command stopping where they were as the whispered order flew back along the line , each man sinking down to the ground , glad of the chance for the moment 's rest . The night was cold , although it was midsummer in a region where at noon the earth is baked and burned with the heat . An hour passed , and out of the darkness the Apache returned . The quarry which they sought was not far ahead , and it was best to leave their animals and go the rest of the way without them . Turning to the tall Sergeant behind him , the officer gave the orders for the movement , and back down the shivering , scattered line went the instructions : `` Number fours hold the horses , every one else take all extra ammunition and their canteens and follow the column on foot . ''