about three o'clock in the afternoon
Their long run had taxed their endurance to the utmost . If they had `` been in practice , '' they would have looked upon it as merely a `` little tramp ; '' for , during the previous winter , they had often followed a fox all day without experiencing any serious inconvenience ; but , as this was the first exercise of the kind they had had for almost a year , they felt the effects of it pretty severely . Archie , who had lived in the city during the summer , was `` completely used up , '' as he expressed it ; and his cousin was weary and footsore ; and it seemed as though neither of them had sufficient strength left to take another step . They kept on , hour after hour , however , without once stopping to rest ; and , about three o'clock in the afternoon , they climbed over the fence that inclosed Uncle Mike 's pasture , and came in sight of the cottage . George and Harry were sitting on the piazza , and , as soon as they came within speaking distance , the latter held up the fox , exclaiming , `` We were lucky , for once in our lives . '' `` If we had been five minutes later , we should have lost him , '' said George , as Frank and his cousin came up to where the brothers were sitting . `` We reached the ridge just in the ` nick of time , ' The fox was just passing , and Harry brought him down by a chance shot .