noon
At the foot of the bay , built partly upon the level land near the water-side , and partly upon the steep ascent beyond , was the town of Huitzilan -- whereof the most curious feature that at first was noticeable was a tall chimney , whence thick black smoke was pouring forth , that rose above a stone building of great solidity and of a very considerable size . On archæological grounds , the sight of this chimney greatly astonished me ; and Rayburn , who was a very well-read man in all matters connected with his profession , was greatly astonished by it also ; for the chimney obviously was a part of extensive reduction-works , and we both knew that such complete appliances for the smelting of metal , as seemed from this sign to exist here , were supposed to be the product of a high state of civilization in comparatively modern times . As for Young , he declared that the chimney gave him a regular jolt of homesickness ; for , excepting that it was built of stone instead of brick , it might have been , for the look of it , transplanted hither directly from the region of the Back Bay . `` I s ` pose we 'll be hearin ' th ' noon whistle next , '' he said , mournfully ; and presently he added : `` Do you know , Professor , I b ` lieve I 'm beginnin ' t ' see daylight in all this tall talk you say th ' Colonel has been givin ' us about th ' ` rebellions , ' as he calls 'em , that go on here . He do n't mean t ' close our eyes up , th ' Colonel do n't , for he 's a first-class gentleman ; but , bein ' born an ' bred a heathen , he do n't know any better . What he 's tryin ' t ' tell us about , an ' ca n't , because he do n't know th ' English for it , is _ strikes _ . That 's what 's th ' matter .