noon
He had not known how near to exhaustion was his nervous system . Perhaps it was less physical exhaustion than emotion , which can make huge drains upon the system . Now he was in the keeping of nature which was restoring all his powers of both mind and body , and keeping him there until he should again have all his strength and all the keenness of his faculties , needful for the great work that lay before him . It was halfway toward noon when he awakened , remembered dimly in the first instant , and then comprehending everything in the second . He unrolled the blankets , slipped out of his lair and knew by the height of the sun that he had slept far beyond the time appointed for himself . But he did not worry over it . Barring a little stiffness , which he removed by flexing and tensing his muscles , he felt very strong and capable .