About noon
Clay said nothing , but turned abruptly aside and began to busy himself with his canoe . The delay was of brief duration , and the Jolly Rovers were soon afloat again . Nugget had stretched his wet clothes across the fore and rear deck of his canoe , so that the sun would quickly dry them . About noon , while the boys were paddling through a deep and narrow part of the creek , Ned called attention to a bunch of ducks that were feeding in the reeds some distance down the right shore . All eyes were turned in that direction , and consequently no one happened to glance toward the opposite bank . Clay had fallen a little behind his companions , and was three or four yards to the left of them . He was drifting along with his gaze fixed on the ducks , when all at once his canoe began to twist and oscillate in a most alarming manner .