noon
Undaunted , Mr. Darling took his turn on foot again , dragging the puffing beast along at his muddy heels . The way was nothing but a muddy track across a desolate barren . It curved steadily to the left and at last brought him in sight of the irregular coast and the gray sea . By noon he had reached a miserable , dirty shebeen ; and here he dried himself , sheltered and fed his horse and ate from his own provisions . He rested there for two hours -LRB- for his horse 's sake rather than his own -RRB- , and then mounted , threw a couple of shillings to the keeper of the house and continued on his way . He studied the coast-line intently as he floundered along . He saw that most of the shore ice had melted or broken away from the land-wash .