noon
He sent Luke back to the car to pacify the girls as best he could , but without taking time to explain to the collegian his intention in full . Then the boy got to work . Within half an hour he interviewed the blacksmith and half a dozen other people who lived or worked in sight of the canal . He discovered that , although two barges had gone along to the Milton Lock at the river side since before noon , only the old _ Nancy Hanks _ had gone in the other direction . He came back to the car and the waiting party in some eagerness . `` Oh , Neale ! have you found them ! ''