the hour of ten
Bobolink was not greedy , but he really hoped that if any sort of trouble did come it would come along while he and Andy were holding the post of guards . He had a little fear that Spider Sexton might not be depended on , no matter what his good intentions , while Tom Betts was an unknown quantity . In case Andy happened to be sitting in one boat , while Bobolink was occupying the other , they had fixed it up so that by taking a lead pencil , the `` commander '' could give a few little light taps on the side of the craft , using his knowledge of the Morse code to send the message , and in this way ask whether his assistant were wide awake , and on the job , when Andy would send back a reply along the same order ; for he aspired to be a signal man of the troop , and was daily practicing with the wigwag flags , as well as smoke and fire signals . The town clock boomed out the hour of ten . Bobolink had himself begun to feel rather sleepy , and more to arouse his dormant faculties than anything else , he sent a message along the wooden telegraph line . The reply was a bit slow in coming , which made him think Andy might also be inclined to fall into a doze . So Bobolink decided that he must bestir himself , and give the signal more frequently .