noon
He sank back upon Joe 's shoulder , speechless . An open carriage had driven through the crowd , the colored driver urged by two ladies upon the back seat , and Martin Pike saw it stop by the group in the middle of the street where Joe stood , the wounded dog held to his breast by one arm , the old man , white and half fainting , supported by the other . Martin Pike saw this and more ; he saw Ariel Tabor and his own daughter leaning from the carriage , the arms of both pityingly extended to Joe Louden and his two burdens , while the stunned and silly crowd stood round them staring , clouds of dust settling down upon them through the hot air . Now in that blazing noon Canaan looked upon a strange sight : an open carriage whirling through Main Street behind two galloping bays ; upon the back seat a ghostly white old man with closed eyes , supported by two pale ladies , his head upon the shoulder of the taller ; while beside the driver , a young man whose coat and hands were bloody , worked over the hurts of an injured dog . Sam Warden 's whip sang across the horses ; lather gathered on their flanks , and Ariel 's voice steadily urged on the pace : `` Quicker , Sam , if you can . '' For there was little breath left in the body of Eskew Arp . Mamie , almost as white as the old man , was silent ; but she had not hesitated in her daring , now that she had been taught to dare ; she had not come to be Ariel 's friend and honest follower for nothing ; and it was Mamie who had cried to Joe to lift Eskew into the carriage .