noon
The agents of several nations are keen on getting a copy of the code . If these men were arrested , it would reveal , directly , the whereabouts of the code and its author . '' `` It seems too bad such rascals can carry on their intrigues without being punished , '' said Jack . As it was noon by that time , and the appetites of all were sharp set , Captain Simms invited the boys to have lunch with him . It was a simple meal , consisting mainly of fish ; but the boys did ample justice to it , and finished up with some pie , which the captain had brought from Clayton to replenish his larder . After dinner the capricious breeze died out entirely . The heat was intense , and the water glittered like a sheet of molten glass .