three o'clock in the afternoon
They 'll only beat you the harder if you fight . '' `` We 'll see , '' said Frank , with a determined air . `` We 'll see when the time comes . '' Bert and Frank found Ernest a very bright and useful friend , and they had so many questions to ask him that they were very sorry when the ringing of a bell summoned them back to their seats , where they were kept until three o'clock in the afternoon , when school was over for the day . At home that evening Bert recounted his experiences to three very attentive listeners , and his face grew very grave when he came to tell what Ernest had said about the `` hoisting . '' Having never witnessed a performance of this peculiar rite by which for many years it had been the custom of the school to initiate new members , Bert had no very clear ideas about it , and , of course , thought it all the more dreadful on that account . But his father cheered him a great deal by the view he took of it .