about two o'clock in the afternoon
The final ironical touch was given the anti-climax when our rescuer turned out to be the mother of the chief of the head-hunters himself ! He had lingered perforce with his brothers and sister outside the cabin until dinner time , and when he came in he was meek as Moses . Thus the ready hospitality of the poor , which passed over the heads of Tom and me as we ate bread and onions and potatoes with a ravenous hunger . It must have been about two o'clock in the afternoon when we bade good-bye to our preserver and departed for home ... . At first we went at a dog-trot , but presently slowed down to discuss the future looming portentously ahead of us . Since entire concealment was now impossible , the question was , -- how complete a confession would be necessary ? Our cases , indeed , were dissimilar , and Tom 's incentive to hold back the facts was not nearly so great as mine .