twelve o’clock
He made himself the head of the plot . There were no writings nor papers . No single one of the conspirators communicated with any other than the Frenchman ; but personally he gave his orders to them all . He had arranged matters for a general rising of the garrison , at twelve o'clock on a certain day : the guard-houses in the town were to be seized , the sentinels cut down , and -- who knows the rest ? Some of our people used to say that the conspiracy was spread through all Silesia , and that Le Blondin was to be made a general in the Austrian service . At twelve o'clock , and opposite the guard-house by the Bohmer-Thor of Neiss , some thirty men were lounging about in their undress , and the Frenchman stood near the sentinel of the guard-house , sharpening a wood hatchet on a stone . At the stroke of twelve , he got up , split open the sentinel 's head with a blow of his axe , and the thirty men , rushing into the guard-house , took possession of the arms there , and marched at once to the gate .