noon
We kept on hauling silently . Out of the corner of my eye I beheld the _ planton _ -- now on both knees , musket held to his shoulder by his left arm and pointing unflinchingly at us one and all -- hunting with his right arm and hand in his belt for cartridges ! A few seconds after this fleeting glimpse of heroic devotion had penetrated my considerably heightened sensitivity -- UP suddenly came the bucket and over backwards we all went together on the floor of The Enormous Room . And as we fell I heard a cry like the cry of a boiler announcing noon -- `` Too late ! '' I recollect that I lay on the floor for some minutes , half on top of The Zulu and three-quarters smothered by Monsieur Auguste , shaking with laughter ... . Then we all took to our hands and knees , and made for our bunks . I believe no one -LRB- curiously enough -RRB- got punished for this atrocious misdemeanour -- except the _ planton _ ; who was punished for not shooting us , although God knows he had done his very best .