noon
`` I never heard a worse sort of pun in my life . '' `` Then it 's all the better , my dear , '' replied he ; and as everybody else laughed too , they possibly shared the captain 's opinion . After this , there was a move on deck -- not before it was needed perhaps ! At noon , Captain Dinks , after manipulating his sextant and adjusting the sights , seemed to be much longer taking his observation than usual ; and when he went below to his cabin to work out the reckoning he certainly remained a most unconscionable time . By and by , however , he came up the companion again , his face beaming with delight . `` What do you think , Mr Meldrum ? '' said he , somewhat excitedly , to that gentleman , who , along with the remainder of the saloon party , was standing on the poop leaning over the taffrail to windward , looking over the apparently limit less expanse of water , that stretched away to the horizon , and basking in the sunshine , which was tempered by a mellow breeze that seemed just sufficient to keep the sails of the _ Nancy Bell _ full -- and that was all .