noon before
she inquired obliquely . `` Because it 's high tide twice a day -- approximately every twelve hours . I looked up a tide-table in the hall out there and found it was high at one eleven this morning and low at seven thirty-five -- just about an hour turned when I had my swim , the water-line then about twelve feet short of the marks of the boat . It 'll be high again about one forty-eight this afternoon -- at least noon before water begins to wash over those marks . '' He puffed voluminously . `` If there was any shenanigan afoot last night , a couple of thick-heads footed it -- that is , if they cared whether they left any clues or not . '' Constrained to fill in his expectant pause , she made shift with a `` How very odd ! ''