the hour of seven
There was no one in the little street , so I dropped the milk-cans inside the hoarding and sent the cap and overall after them . I had only just put on my cloth cap when a postman came round the corner . I gave him good morning and he answered me unsuspiciously . At the moment the clock of a neighbouring church struck the hour of seven . There was not a second to spare . As soon as I got to Euston Road I took to my heels and ran . The clock at Euston Station showed five minutes past the hour .