noon
On Wednesday the Boston papers printed excerpts from Captain Hammond 's story , and these brief preliminary accounts aroused the admiration of every citizen . It was proposed to give him a reception . Elkanah was the moving spirit in the preparations . Captain Nat , so they learned by telegraphing , would arrive on the noon train Thursday . His was not to be a prosaic progress by stage all the way from Sandwich . A special carriage , drawn by the Daniels span and escorted by other vehicles , was to meet the coach at Bayport and bring him to Trumet in triumphant procession . All this was to be a surprise , of course .