noon before
At noon they stopped at a farmer 's house , and Bill told the honest old man that they belonged to a ship which had sailed round to Philadelphia ; that it had left New York unexpectedly , without their knowledge , and taken their chests and clothes which had been placed on board ; and that , being without money , they were compelled to walk across to Philadelphia to meet it . The farmer believed the falsehood , and charitably gave them a good dinner . They walked on till after sunset , and then crossed over a field , and climbed up into a rack filled with hay , where they slept all night . In the morning they started forward very hungry , for they had eaten nothing , since the noon before , except a few green apples . They stopped at the first farm-house on the road , and , by telling the same falsehood that had procured them a meal the day before , excited the pity of the farmer and obtained a good breakfast . Thus did they go on , lying and begging their way along . On the third day there were heavy showers , accompanied by fierce lightnings and crashing thunders .