ten o'clock
It lacked a few minutes of nine . `` And yonder is the mouth of Wild Man 's Creek , '' said Fred ; `` we have made pretty good speed . '' `` Nothing to boast of , '' replied Jennie ; `` if it were not for fear of distressing mother , I would insist that we go ten or fifteen miles further before turning back . '' Since plenty of time was at command , they continued their easy pace , passing over several long and comparatively straight stretches of frozen water , around sharp bends , beyond another expansion of the stream , in front of a couple of natural openings , and finally , while it lacked considerable of ten o'clock , they rounded to in front of a mass of gray towering rocks on the right bank of the stream , and , skating close into shore , sat down on a bowlder which obtruded several feet above the ice . They were at the extremity of their excursion . These collective rocks bore the name of Wolf Glen , the legend being that at some time in the past a horde of wolves made their headquarters there , and , when the winters were unusually severe , held the surrounding country in what might be called a reign of terror . They had not yet wholly disappeared , but little fear of them was felt .