noon
And with this simple fatalism his only belief , this strange man groped his way to his bed , lay down , and in a few moments was asleep . The storm still roared without . Once again the surges leaped against the cabin , but it was evident that the wind was abating with the tide . When he awoke it was high noon , and the sun was shining brightly . For some time he lay in a delicious languor , doubting if he was alive or dead , but feeling through every nerve and fibre an exquisite sense of peace -- a rest he had not known since his boyhood -- a relief he scarcely knew from what . He felt that he was smiling , and yet his pillow was wet with the tears that glittered still on his lashes . The sand blocking up his doorway , he leaped lightly from his window .