about eight o'clock at night
We had almost forgotten to say that Johnny , who was a widower , was accompanied on this occasion by his son , Johnny junior , an only child , whom it was his intention to take along with him . The boy was about fourteen years of age , and though , upon the whole , a shrewd enough lad for his time of life , did not promise to be a much brighter genius than his father . In fact he was rather lumpish . On arriving at the inn yard -- it was about eight o'clock at night , and pretty dark , being the latter end of September -- Johnny Armstrong found the coach apparently about to start , the horses being all yoked ; but the vehicle happened , at the moment he entered the yard , to be in charge of an ostler -- not of either the guard or driver , who had both gone out of the way for an instant . Desirous of securing a good seat for his son , Johnny Armstrong opened the coach door , thrust the lad in , and was about to follow himself , when he discovered that he had forgotten his watch . On making this discovery , he banged too the coach door without saying a word , and hurried home as fast as his little , thick , short legs would allow him , to recover his time-piece . On his return , which was in less than five minutes , Johnny himself stepped into the vehicle , which was now crowded with passengers , and , in a few seconds , was rattling away at a rapid rate towards Edinburgh .