noon
There was , when he came to think about it , a saving element of humor about it all . He had always wanted to make a trip down the Three Rivers in a bateau . And now -- he was making it ! At noon a guard brought in his dinner . He could not recall that he had ever seen this man before , a tall , lithe fellow built to run like a hound , and who wore a murderous-looking knife at his belt . As the door opened , David caught a glimpse of two others . They were business-like looking individuals , with muscles built for work or fight ; one sitting cross-legged on the bateau deck with a rifle over his knees , and the other standing with a rifle in his hand .