noon
The self-controlled German , evidently accustomed to hard grind and overwork in an office job , was not in the least ruffled by Roger 's impatient ways . And he distinctly enjoyed the vim and imagination that were characteristic of Roger 's work even when it involved the seemingly simple task of cutting and threading condenser pipe . For cutting and threading condenser pipe so that it shall be leak proof is not a simple job at all . April came to the desert with a noon temperature of a hundred degrees in the shade . Imperceptibly the daily breeze stiffened to a noon gale . There were no sand storms however for six weeks and the second alfalfa crop caught toe hold and grew , an amazing patch of green on the thirsty yellow sand . The ranch house engine misbehaved , regularly , but Roger developed what Charley called actual genius for tinkering and somehow the five acres were watered .