midday
Later in the morning he sat up , took another cautious look around at the clear sky , and then proceeded to enjoy a good , old-fashioned smoke , for Perk was a lover of his under-slung pipe _ a la Dawes _ . Noon found him thus , picturing his chum arriving at Tampa and interviewing the Government official who could give him what assistance he required so as to turn over the captured sloop and the contraband it carried , both above and below decks . At one time Perk out of curiosity -- as well as a desire to be in a condition to state the amount of spoils he and Jack had `` corraled '' in their swoop upon the fighting smugglers and hijackers -- took a pad of paper and a pencil and proceeded to go over the entire vessel , securing a rough invoice of the numerous piled-up cases bearing that foreign , burnt brand . Then a temptation gripped him , and , as he took another `` eyeful '' sweep of the azure arch overhead , to again find the coast clear , he tortured himself with the vision of a pot of boiling coffee to go with his otherwise dry midday snack of lunch . `` Huh ! no use talkin ' , I jest _ ca n't _ stand it any longer -- got to have my coffee if I want to keep happy as a clam at high tide . Nothin ' to prevent me paddlin ' across once more to where I got these here greens .