noon
For in Dan there was no shaking doubt . He was the spirit , incarnate , of the young , unquestioning , unthinking , generous , reckless , hotheaded , passionate South . And Chad ? The news reached Major Buford 's farm at noon , and Chad went to the woods and came in at dusk , haggard and spent . Miserably now he held his tongue and tortured his brain . Purposely , he never opened his lips to Harry Dean . He tried to make known to the Major the struggle going on within him , but the iron-willed old man brushed away all argument with an impatient wave of his hand .