noon
If anything should happen to the dam , if it should burst , the enormous quantity of water held in leash by the structure would pour over the village and cover half the houses to their chimney tops . Two bridges crossed the river at Elmvale ; one at the village proper and the other just below the dam itself and about half a mile from the first mill , Barron & Brothers ' Thread Factory . `` Let 's take the upper road , '' proposed Frenchy , as the car came within sight of the chimneys of the Elmvale mills . `` We 've plenty of time before the noon whistle blows . I have n't been up by the dam since before we all joined the Navy . '' `` Just as you fellows say , '' Al responded , and turned into a side road that soon brought them above the mills on the ridge overlooking the valley . `` I say , fellows , '' Whistler stopped whistling long enough to observe , `` there 's a slue of water behind that dam .