twelve o'clock
The whistle ceased blowing , but still Dan Kenyon stood at his post , oblivious of the hungry saws . Ten seconds passed ; then Zeb Curry , immeasurably scandalized at Daniel 's tardiness , tooted the whistle sharply twice ; whereupon Dan woke up , threw over the lever , and walked his log up to the saw . For the next five hours Zeb Curry had no opportunity to discuss the matter with the head sawyer . After blowing the twelve o'clock whistle , however , he hurried over to the dining-hall , where the mill hands already lined the benches , shovelling food into their mouths as only a lumberman or a miner can . Dan Kenyon sat at the head of the table in the place of honour sacred to the head sawyer , and when his mouth would permit of some activity other than mastication , Zeb Curry caught his eye . `` Hey , you , Dan Kenyon , '' he shouted across the table , `` what happened to you this mornin ' ? It was sixteen seconds between the tail end o ' my whistle an ' the front end o ' your whinin ' .