twelve o'clock
The next morning they started at eight o'clock , having had a breakfast of potatoes before they fell in . Ralph rewarded the peasants generously for their hospitality , and the men set off in high spirits for their tramp , and reached Ballyporrit at half-past two in the afternoon . `` You gave us a nice scare yesterday , Conway , '' was Captain O'Connor 's greeting as they marched in . `` When twelve o'clock came and you did n't come back I began to think you must have lost yourselves ; and a nice time we had of it till your messenger arrived at eight . It was no use sending out to look for you on the hills . But I went out with a party , with two or three men to guide us , to the end of a valley , up which a path went ; beyond that there was no going , for one could n't see one 's hand . I stayed there an hour , firing off guns once a minute , and as there was no reply was sure that you must be a good distance off , wherever you were ; so there was nothing to do but to come back and hope you had found shelter somewhere .