noon
Now all this knocked me hell-west and crooked , and I said so , but I could n't get a word out of Gentleman Tim . All the answer I could get was just little laughs . We drawed into the ranch near midnight , but next mornin ' Tim had a long talk with the boss , and the result was that the whole outfit was instructed to arm up with a pick or a shovel apiece , and to get set for Texas Pete 's . We got there a little after noon , turned the old boy out -- without firearms -- and then began to dig at a place Tim told us to , near that grave of Texas Pete 's . In three hours we had the finest water-hole developed you ever want to see . Then the boss stuck up a sign that said : PUBLIC WATER-HOLE . WATER , FREE .