noon
Surely somewhere on earth there were other human beings ; the destruction , if irreparable , was not universal . Sooner or later some hardy sailor would find the surviving peaks of this new Atlantis . At least , if the woman within was not his world , he was thankful that no one else was ; and having looked the grim truth in the face , he too slept . It was long past noon when the dog wakened him , and he started to his feet , determined that , having lost all else , they should keep their sound , clear brains . He walked about the park , which contained perhaps five hundred acres . There were half a dozen cows , as many horses , some burros , and a few chickens . There was a rude stable and a few farm implements .