noon
So the second letter was written ; and in the rising , scorching heat old Ali Baba set off , mounted on the meanest of the baggage beasts , whose hump was getting galled , so that he was n't likely to be of much use to us within a day or so . Then we all got under the shelter of the low tents to give the other camels a rest and wait for evening , and I think Jael Higg slept , but I do n't know , for we gave her a tent to herself ; she refused point blank to share one with Ayisha . And Ayisha , I know , did not sleep . She came in the noon glare to the tent I occupied with Narayan Singh and entered without ceremony , slipping through the low opening with the silent ease that comes naturally to the Badawi . She squatted down in front of us , and I awoke the Sikh , who was snoring a chorus from Wagner 's `` Niebelungen Ring . '' For a moment I thought he was going to resume the night 's flirtation , but there was something in the quiet manner of her and the serious expression of her face that he recognized as quickly as I did . All her imperious attitude was gone .