noon
At six A.M. Worley Gates , who farms eight miles south , comes in to catch an early train and delivers the first bulletin . The roads to the south are drying fast , but he went down the clay hill sidewise and had to go through the bottom on low . At seven , Wimble Horn and Colonel Ackley and Sim Bone drop in while waiting for breakfast . Bone thinks he 'll drive to Millford , but does n't think he can get in an hour 's business and get back by noon . This starts the first debate of the day , Colonel Ackley contending that he has done the distance easily in an hour-ten , and Sim being frankly incredulous . Experts decide that it can be done with good roads . Colonel says he can do it in mud and can take the hills on high ; says he never goes into low for anything .