about four o'clock
Through the little village they were accompanied with the shouts of the children , who cried out , ` Eh ! see to the Southland gentleman , that 's gaun to be hanged for shooting lang John Mucklewrath the smith ! ' The dinner-hour of Scotland Sixty Years since was two o'clock . It was therefore about four o'clock of a delightful autumn afternoon that Mr. Gilfillan commenced his march , in hopes , although Stirling was eighteen miles distant , he might be able , by becoming a borrower of the night for an hour or two , to reach it that evening . He therefore put forth his strength , and marched stoutly along at the head of his followers , eyeing our hero from time to time , as if he longed to enter into controversy with him . At length unable to resist the temptation , he slackened his pace till he was alongside of his prisoner 's horse , and after marching a few steps in silence abreast of him , he suddenly asked , -- ` Can ye say wha the carle was wi ' the black coat ; and the mousted head , that was wi ' the Laird of Cairnvreckan ? ' ` A Presbyterian clergyman , ' answered Waverley .