a quarter to two
He had experienced it many times before and whether it was an ambush of Indians , or the plans of some band of outlaws it had rarely betrayed him . It was something in the air ; a vibration that the human nerves are as conscious of as a dog 's nose is cognizant of the scent of some wild animal . Jim turned and looked at the engineer , who nodded back at him for a second , with a look that indicated there was business ahead ; then his eyes were fastened on the track again . Jim took out his watch and saw that it was a quarter to two . It brought a quizzical smile to his face . Time and again he had noted the fact that it was just about this time that an attack was sure to come . It sent a thrill through his nerves for he felt that they were rushing straight to a crisis .