a quarter
after four
If he only knew ! There had been a flurry of excitement in the kitchen just after dinner . Mr. Bacheldor had appeared at the door with the request that he might `` borrer the loan of Cap'n Gould 's shotgun . '' The day before , at a quarter after four -- Mr. Bacheldor was certain as to the time because he had been `` layin ' down two or three minutes on the sofy afore goin ' out to look at some wood there was to cut in the shed , and I 'd just got up and looked at the clock afore I looked out of the settin ' - room winder '' -- looking out of that window he had seen a cat running from his henyard with one of his recently hatched Plymouth Rock chickens in its mouth . `` If I 'd had a gun then , '' declared Abner , `` I could have blowed the critter to thunder-and-gone . But I 'll get him next time . Let me have the gun , will you , Isaiah ?