Twelve o'clock, midday
From time to time he swallowed , although his mouth was dry and empty ; there was a rattling sound accompanying the act that suggested the hoarse croak of a frog . Always his gaze was on the door , never wavering , unblinkng , fascinated by the horror that was creeping down to him as surely as the sun crept up to the apex of the day . Noon ! Twelve o'clock , midday ! The hour they were dreading ! One of the shivering thieves beside the stove drew forth from a ragged pocket the plutocratic timepiece of a millionaire victim . The way his eyes narrowed as he looked at its face told the silent observers that it was twelve o'clock and after .