noon
Then she hollowed out four pits in the sand for us to lie in , and clothed us in the skins , and couched us together . Now that bed had like to have been our last , for we were stifled by the dreadful stench of the seabred seals . But the goddess saw our distress , and found a remedy ; for she brought ambrosia and set it beneath our nostrils , and that heavenly perfume overpowered the noisome stench . `` So all the morning we lay and wafted patiently , and at noon the seals came up out of the sea and lay down in order on the sand . Last of all came Proteus , and counted his herd , reckoning us among their number , with no suspicion of guile . We waited until he was fast asleep , and then we rushed from our ambush and seized him hand and foot . Long and hard was the struggle , and many the shapes which he took .