noon
The other accessories , all more thinly coated , were likewise ready for his use . He began in the morning to heat his natural chimney against the actual needs of afternoon . The small fire kindled upon its hearth established at once the efficiency of the draught . Not without a certain boyish eagerness in the culmination of his labors , Sidney began the assemblage of his various paraphernalia an hour at least before noon . His molds and crucibles he carefully brought from the summit of the terrace , disposing them as conveniently as his crude conditions permitted . All his rusted scraps and useless bits of brass and bronze were divided into parcels , while salt , some powdered charcoal , and an over-abundant supply of saltpeter were provided to be used as flux , according as the smelting might demand . He could not be certain of which he should use till experiment should determine which , if any , rendered good results .