twelve o'clock
He was gifted in the way of knocking together edibles when haste and muscle and quantity was to be considered . He held the record west of the Arkansas River for frying pancakes with his left hand , broiling venison cutlets with his right , and skinning a rabbit with his teeth at the same time . But I could do things _ en casserole _ and _ à la creole _ , and handle the oil and tobasco as gently and nicely as a French _ chef _ . So at twelve o'clock we had a hot lunch ready that looked like a banquet on a Mississippi River steamboat . We spread it on the tops of two or three big boxes , opened two quarts of the red wine , set the olives and a canned oyster cocktail and a ready-made Martini by the colonel 's plate , and called him to grub . Colonel Rockingham drew up his campstool , wiped off his specs , and looked at the things on the table . Then I thought he was swearing ; and I felt mean because I had n't taken more pains with the victuals .