noon
They had heard in the night the signal guns from San Juan de Ulua and the tenderest hearted of them said a prayer under his breath for the boy whom the storm had given to the sea . Then they sang together as they worked , some soft , crooning air of love and sacrifice that had been sung among the hills of Spain before the Moor came . Perhaps if they had known that the boy and man were asleep only a hundred yards away , the tenderest hearted among them at least would have gone on with their work just the same . Ned was the first to awake and it was past noon . He threw off the grass and stood up refreshed but a little stiff . He awoke Obed , who rose , yawning tremendously and plucking wisps of grass from his hair . The droning note of a song came faintly , and the two listened .