midday
By making fast a living animal to that post be has been able to convince himself that from about nine in the morning until five in the afternoon their senses are limited . Only occasionally do they come and take the bait between those hours . They are hungriest in the early morning just before daylight . Recently a large ape tied to the post at midday was not killed and eaten until four next morning , and that is about the usual thing , although not the rule . Now my proposal is -- '' He stepped back and eyed me with the coldest look of appraisal I ever sickened under . I blenched at last -- visibly suffered under his eye , and he liked it . '' -- that you tell your secret or be fastened to that post from noon , say , until the crocodiles make an end of you ! ''