noon
Ned set the example , and we all imitated him . In more important points , as a leader . Manco showed himself fit to be a chief ; but the British seaman , where manual work was concerned , was his superior . By noon we had a very respectable stockade run up , such as might withstand an attack for a short time from any ordinary enemy not possessed of firearms . All the trees and shrubs on the sides of the rock had been cut away , and stones had been piled up near all the more accessible points , to serve as a rampart , or to be used as weapons of defence . `` Now , mates , '' exclaimed Ned , after he had walked with an air of satisfaction round our fortifications , `` the work is done , so let 's pipe to dinner . '' To dinner , accordingly , we went ; and one of our dishes was the sloth I had shot , and we had some more monkeys , and several birds , which we had brought hung on to our saddles .