noon
Young John was of our age , bright , quick-witted , with a kind heart , an open hand , and a full allowance of self-conceit . He was always boasting about his Uncle Thomas , the richest man in Boston , of his wharf and warehouses and ships , and of his new stone house on the Beacon Hill . `` And after I go to college , I 'm going to live with Uncle Thomas , and be a merchant like him , '' he used to proclaim . Edmund , Davy , and I went up to Bishop Hancock 's one noon with John , and made a careful and minute survey of the premises , after the manner of boys . We inspected the pigs beneath the barn , and got a pail of water and scrubbed them with a broom till we were satisfied with their appearance . Then we learned the names and good points of the cows and horses . When we got to the loft , Davy made a great discovery -- a pigeon net stowed away on the rafters .