five o'clock in the afternoon
He simply caved . For ten years he 'd been chasing the rainbow of chance , and now all at once , when he 'd fairly given up hope , he 'd stumbled upon it and the pot of gold together . It was too much for him . `` This was at five o'clock in the afternoon , I say . At six o'clock I unlocked the door and things began to move definitely . What happened in that hour does n't matter . It was n't pleasant , and under the circumstances no one would believe me if I told ; for I had his written promise to show me the ledge he 'd found and to sell whatever right he had to the claim himself to me for twenty-five thousand dollars ... .