noon
He thought of nothing by way of labor he could advantageously perform . Their defense , though crude , was fairly complete , and could scarcely be improved . To watch the edge of the jungle , hour after hour , where never a sign was vouchsafed his vigilance , was a dulling inactivity , yet a highly essential precaution that was not to be neglected . By noon he was fairly in a mood to seek out the island 's invaders alone , to hasten some definite action . That the natives intended to starve them into a visit to the spring seemed all too obvious . Grenville felt assured , however , the water down in the cavern would suffice for their needs , if no better could be relied upon , when once their jars were empty , while gathering fruit would not be wholly impossible under cover of the night . With the thought in mind that only the trail would be kept under watch by the Dyaks , he made up his mind he could readily contrive a ladder-like platform to extend from the brink , whereby the distance to the nearest tree might be conveniently bridged to permit easy access to the jungle .