midday
Many and various were the comments which arose as the party gazed intently upon the distant smoke columns . `` If only as a change from knocking on the head these defenceless devils , it 's quite a blessed relief to have some real fighting , '' quoth Holmes . `` You 'll get plenty of that , Holmes , within the next few hours , '' remarked Hazon dryly . It was near midday , and the heat was torrid and sweltering . The fierce vertical sun-rays seemed to pour down upon their unshaded position as in streams of molten fire . Even the quick , excited murmurs of the men grew languid . And , having seen to all being in complete readiness , as Laurence Stanninghame sat there at his post in the torrid heat , smoking the pipe of meditation , did no thought of the home , such as it was , but which he would probably never see again , not rise up before him ?