noon
He had various places to go to , and both sales and purchases to make , but he found time , as usual , to visit more than one place where whisky was sold ; and when at last he drove out of the town , he had but just enough power of self-control to keep himself from swaying about visibly as he sat in his sleigh . He was in boisterous spirits , and greeted every acquaintance he met with some rough jest -- pointless but noisy -- singing snatches of songs , and flourishing his whip with an air of tipsy bravado . At a small tavern near the sawmill he dismounted for the last time . It was a little after noon , and several of the men employed about the mill were lounging round the stove in the tavern when Clarkson went in . He found some of his own particular associates among the group , and , being in a generous humour , he pulled out a dirty dollar-note and ordered glasses round . These were followed by others ; and when , after another half-hour , he got into his sleigh again , he was quite beyond the power of guiding his horse , or even of seeing where he was going . He was more noisy than ever ; and as he started off , some of his more sober companions shouted warnings after him , and stood watching him as he went , with a pretty strong feeling that he was not likely to reach home safely .