five o’clock
No one , of course , knew it in the village of Cinq-Cygne , the valley and the chateau of which were now , for the second time , encircled by gendarmes . Laurence had only to tell Marthe , Catherine , and the Durieus not to leave the chateau , to be strictly obeyed . After each trip to fetch the gold , the horses were fastened in the covered way opposite to the breach in the moat , and from there Robert and Michu , the strongest of the party , carried the sacks through the breach to a cellar under the staircase in the tower called Mademoiselle 's . Reaching the chateau with the last load about half-past five o'clock , the four gentlemen and Michu proceeded to bury the treasure in the floor of the cellar and then to wall up the entrance . Michu took charge of the matter with Gothard to help him ; the lad was sent to the farm for some sacks of plaster left over when the new buildings were put up , and Marthe went with him to show him where they were . Michu , very hungry , made such haste that by half-past seven o'clock the work was done ; and he started for home at a quick pace to stop Gothard , who had been sent for another sack of plaster which he thought he might want . The farm was already watched by the forester of Cinq-Cygne , the justice of peace , his clerk and four gendarmes who , however , kept out of sight and allowed him to enter the house without seeing them .