midday
`` Kennel ? It would want an elephant house . No , my lad , it will not do ; you will have to set our friend at liberty , or let me tell Johannes to turn it into oil . '' That was one day at the end of August , when at midday the sun shone quite hot , and they knew that harvest must be in full progress at home . They had been so great a distance to the south that it was all the men could do to pull back ; and , as it was , they did not reach the mouth of the narrow waterway until close upon ten o'clock , and the _ Hvalross _ till they were so utterly tired out that , after snatching a hasty meal , all were eager to throw themselves down to sleep . Safely anchored as they were , shut in from storms , right out where no bears , even if they swam out , could assail them , the keeping of a watch seemed very unnecessary , and Steve never thought it more so than that night , when he found that it was his turn to take the second watch in company with Johannes ; for he was regularly fagged . However , his was only the watch to come , so that he was able to get a good sleep before he was called , and then arose with his eyes half closed and a general desire to quarrel with everything and everybody .