four o'clock in the afternoon
Now tell us all about it . '' Dan was in that frame of mind where he needed sympathy , and he told the whole story , while the entire party stood around , interrupting him now and then by exclamations of surprise that his parents should have been so cruel as to even think of killing that faithful Crippy . This consolation , even though it did Dan no material good , was very sweet to him , and he would have continued to sing the praise of his pet , had not one of the boys proposed that an effort be made to find uncle Robert 's house . Then each one had a different plan to propose , none of them thinking that at that hour -- four o'clock in the afternoon -- it might be an act of charity first to give Dan and Crippy something to eat . It surely seemed as if this discussion as to how the search should be begun would continue until it would be too late to do anything , and while each one was stoutly maintaining that his plan was the best , an old-fashioned sleigh drawn by a clumsy-looking horse , stopped directly opposite where the boys were holding their conference . `` Why , father ! '' cried Dan as he saw the occupant of the sleigh , and at the same time he hugged Crippy close to him as if he believed his father had come for the goose .