nearly noon
The big fellow looked up , shook his horns , not in hostile fashion but in the manner of comrade saluting comrade , and then went back , with a whole and confident heart , to his task of nipping the grass . Robert was pleased . It was certain that the bull no longer regarded him with either fear or apprehension , and he wanted to be liked . It was nearly noon when he reached his summit , and as he was warm from exercise he sat down on a rock , staying there a long time and scouring the horizon now and then through the glasses . The sea was a circle of blazing blue , and the light wind sang from the southwest . He had brought food with him and in the middle of the day he ate it . With nothing in particular to do he thought he would spend the afternoon there , and , making himself comfortable , he waited , still taking occasional glances through the glasses .