Noon
The time passed drearily . Jack and Ted tried to get interested in a game of chess , but with little success . Bill Witt sought with mouth organ and banjo to buoy up the spirits of his downcast mates and succeeded poorly . Noon mess was served at eleven forty-five and even Jean Cartier , as he dispensed canned beans , brown bread , stewed fruit and tea , forgot to smile as usual at his culinary tasks . `` We ought to get away now if we are to get off at all , '' Jack overheard Lieutenant McClure say to Cleary after mess kits had been stowed and preparations were under way for the `` big drive . '' In a few minutes more the _ Dewey _ was primed for the test . Soon the clatter of machinery aft indicated that the engines were in motion .