noon
pleaded one of the criminals but his voice was drowned in the uproar of the maddened crowd . `` That lower limb will do , boys , everybody pull ! '' A cloud afar off in the sky seemed to float across the sun . They cut the two rigid bodies down at noon . Shawn and Burney returned to the boat . A rain-crow was calling softly from a willow tree , and the ripples murmured sorrowfully on the shore . Shawn touched Burney on the arm as they stood by the boat : `` Mr. Burney , there 's a Memphis packet due up here to-night .