Nine o'clock
`` It may go harder with you on that account . When does your case come up ? '' `` In the morning , they told me , '' said Bass . `` Nine o'clock . '' Gerhardt stayed with his son for some time , and discussed the question of bail , fine , and the dire possibility of a jail sentence without arriving at any definite conclusion . Finally he was persuaded by Bass to go away , but the departure was the occasion for another outburst of feeling ; he was led away shaking and broken with emotion . `` It 's pretty tough , '' said Bass to himself as he was led back to his cell .