noon
an opening in a certain place , and a little path as if men were wont to thread the tangle of the wood thereby ; though hitherto he had noted no slot of men , nor any sign of them , since he had plunged into the deep of the beech-wood . He took the path as one who needs must , and went his ways as it led . In sooth it was well-nigh blind , but he was a deft woodsman , and by means of it skirted many a close thicket that had otherwise stayed him . So on he went , and though the boughs were close enough overhead , and the sun came through but in flecks , he judged that it was growing towards noon , and he wotted well that he was growing aweary . For he had been long afoot , and the more part of the time on a rough way , or breasting a slope which was at whiles steep enough . At last the track led him skirting about an exceeding close thicket into a small clearing , through which ran a little woodland rill amidst rushes and dead leaves : there was a low mound near the eastern side of this wood-lawn , as though there had been once a dwelling of man there , but no other sign or slot of man was there . So Face-of-god made stay in that place , casting himself down beside the rill to rest him and eat and drink somewhat .