nearly noon
George showed the effects of his anxiety very plainly , and had his mother not feared the suspense would be worse for him than the fatigue , she would have tried to induce him to remain in the house instead of going to the well as had been agreed upon . Bob , who had visited the scene of operations before breakfast , again announced that `` everything was all right , '' and that one more load of tubing would give them sufficient . Under the pretext that there were a great many things which it was necessary for him to attend to , while everyone knew he was simply inventing work for the purpose of hiding his anxiety , he insisted that Ralph , Jim and Dick should help George out to the well when he was ready to come , and then he hurried away . The charge would not be exploded until nearly noon , and on the night before it had been agreed that George should not venture out until a short time before the decisive moment ; but now that the time was so near at hand , he could not remain in the house , and the result was that his mother and Ralph agreed he should go at once . An easy chair was carried out in the grove , and placed at a safe distance from the well , but where he could have a good view of what was going on . Then , with Ralph at one side , Dick at the other , Mrs. Simpson ahead , carrying a foot-stool and a fan , and his mother in the rear , with a bottle of salts and an umbrella , the cortege started , its general dignity sadly marred when the party were obliged to climb the fence . Bob was nowhere to be seen when the invalid and his attendants arrived at the reserved seat , but before he was comfortably seated the superintendent came up with another announcement that `` everything was all right , '' and aided them in disposing of George .