noon
The smell from them is far from pleasant , but they are certainly better than nothing . As it was a holiday , the boys felt they must do something . But what to do was the question , until Fred suggested they try their hand at making some candy . They were allowed just a pound of sugar by the men , and worked themselves half sick over the wood fire until noon , when the candy was declared done . It was a sort of taffy ; and although it would not have added to the reputation of a skilled confectioner , all hands partook of their share of it , and declared it excellent . Just before being snowed in Mr. Portney had become the possessor of two newspapers and a magazine , and much of the time was spent by one or another over these . The magazine was rather a heavy one , yet the boys read it through from cover to cover , including all the advertisements .