noon
my head 's all wheels and springs , like the automaton chess-player ! What 's to be done , Paul ? I 'm poisoned . '' But , after drinking a herbal draught concocted by our host , and eating a light meal , at noon , he felt much better ; so much so that he declared himself ready to continue our journey . When we came to start , the Yankee 's boots were missing ; and , after a diligent search , were not to be found . Enraged beyond measure , their proprietor said that Varvy must have stolen them ; but , considering his hospitality , I thought this extremely improbable ; though to whom else to impute the theft I knew not . The doctor maintained , however , that one who was capable of drugging an innocent traveller with `` Arva Tee '' was capable of anything .