noon
At first they could not imagine what it was , for they could perceive nothing but the capacious round of the corporal , which rose up in the air , but , by degrees , they made out that there was a head and feet attached to it , and they contrived , with the united efforts of four men , to raise him up , and discovered that life was not yet extinct . They poured a little schnappes into his mouth , and he recovered so far as to open his eyes ; and they having brought down with them two little carts drawn by dogs , they put the corporal into one , covered him up , and yoking all the dogs to the one cart , for the usual train could not move so heavy a weight , two of them escorted him up to their huts , while the others threw the fish caught into the cart which remained , and took possession of the boat . The fishermen 's wives , perceiving the cart so heavily laden , imagined , as it approached the huts , that there had been unusual success , and were not a little disappointed when they found that , instead of several bushels of fine fish , they had only caught a corporal of marines ; but they were kind-hearted , for they had known misery ; and Van Spitter was put into a bed , and covered up with all the blankets they could collect , and very soon was able to drink some warm soup offered to him . It was not , however , till long past noon that the corporal was able to narrate what had taken place . `` Will your lieutenant pay us for saving you and bringing him his boat ? '' demanded the men . Now , it must be observed , that a great revolution had taken place in the corporal 's feelings since the horror and sufferings of the night .