noon
She shuddered . `` I do n't know how much father would pay -- '' `` Hit 'em low , Peter ! '' came Buregarde 's snarl . Three of them came in a-slant , bounced shoulders against the opened door , caught their bearings and hell was out for noon . Buregarde caught the first with a slash at the throat ; they went down in a mad whirl of dog and thug , paws , tail , arms , legs and a spurt of blood . The second flicked his pencil-ray at Peter , its capsule charge faded to a mere sting before it cut into him . The third aimed a kick at the struggling dog .