midday
But there was nothing extraordinary about that . Perhaps the queer old man had wanted to make butter . The peasants thought it was just some new fancy of his . At midday some one drove past the turnpike-keeper 's house , taking corn to the mill , and observed that no smoke was coming from the chimney . Why had old Vogt got no fire ? Even if he did n't want to cook food for himself , the cows ought to have their warm meal . On his way home the same peasant heard the cows mooing incessantly in a troubled manner , and he related all this at the ale-house in the evening .