noon
he declared , raising his right hand solemnly , as though taking a vow . `` Have your wings ready , Bumpus , and you 'll be all right , because you can fly , '' said Giraffe ; and that provoked another laugh ; because Bumpus , once upon a time , being very ambitious to learn how to swim , had purchased a pair of those `` White Wings , '' which are simply bags made of waterproof cloth that can be inflated , and used after the manner of life preservers ; so that he had had heaps of fun poked at him on account of his `` wings . '' So a full hour passed . Some of the boys were growing impatient , and to relieve the monotony , Thad managed to call the attention of Giraffe to the fact that it lacked only ten minutes of high noon . That was enough . `` I thought I was feeling pretty weak ! '' ex-claimed the tall scout , rubbing his stomach sympathetically , `` and no wonder , with breakfast so far back I 've even clean forgot what I had .