noon
Then suddenly one night a great uncanny silence fell upon the world , and in the morning a gray level plain reached away , where the day before had been the heaving billows of the bay . The sea was frozen at last , and for many long months there would be no breaking of waves upon the rocks or lapping of tides upon the sandy beach . The Frost King , grim and inexorable , had ascended his throne , and the world , subdued into utter silence , lay prostrate and submissive at his feet . Toward noon Jimmy came over , hauling behind him a sled , and upon it his sleeping bag of caribou skin , to say that Skipper Ed had gone that morning to his traps and would not return until the following evening , and Jimmy was to stay at Abel 's over night . This was the custom when Skipper Ed was away , and of course Jimmy was more than welcome with both Abel and Mrs. Abel , and Bobby was delighted . When dinner was over Abel , with a long stick , went down to inspect the ice . He prodded it with the stick , and finding it to his satisfaction stepped out upon it , and still prodding ahead of him made a wide circuit .