the hour of one o'clock
The crops were going down fast in every direction , and the fields were alive and cheerful with the voice of mirth and labor . As they got into the vicinity of Wallace 's house they overtook or were over-taken by several of their neighbors , among whom was seen our old friend , Jemmy , or as I his acquaintances generally called him , honest Jemmy Burke , mounted upon a brood mare with a foal at her heels , all his other horses having been engaged in the labor of the season . After having sympathized with him upon the loss he had sustained , they soon allowed the subject to drop ; for it was quite clear from the expression of care , if not of sorrow , that was legible in his face , that the very mention of it only caused him to feel additional anxiety . At length they reached Wallace 's house , where they found a tolerably large crowd of people waiting for the auction , which was not to commence until the hour of one o'clock . Sam Wallace was a respectable Protestant farmer , who finding , as he said , that there was no proper encouragement given to men who were anxious and disposed to improve their property , had deemed it a wiser step to dispose of his stock and furniture than to remain as he was -- not merely with no certain prospect of being able to maintain even his present position , but with the chances against him of becoming every day a poorer and more embarrassed man . His brother , who like himself , after having been on the decline for a considerable period , had emigrated to America , where he was prospering , now urged him to follow his example and leave a country in which he said , in language that has become a proverb , `` everything was going to the bad . '' Feeling that his brother 's words were unfortunately too true , Wallace , at all events , came to the determination of following his example .