a few minutes before six o'clock
At five o'clock the `` Blade '' put out a bulletin , around which a crowd collected in no time . The crowd grew to such proportions that the policeman on the beat tried in vain to make it `` move on . '' That bulletin read : `` Lake Tragedy All a Tremendous Hoax : Read the ` Blade 's ' six o'clock extra . '' At a few minutes before six o'clock Len Spencer began to arrange one of the street windows of the `` Blade '' office . First of all , from hooks , he suspended Dodge and Bayliss ' `` ghosts '' of the night before . `` What does that mean ? '' asked the wondering onlookers .