nine o'clock in the
evening
The garrison , indeed , had lived in fear of this peril ever since the siege began . But inasmuch as no attempt to mine had been made during the first month , the fear had grown dim . It was revived during the fifth week . The officers were at mess at nine o'clock in the evening , when a havildar of Sikhs burst into the courtyard with the news that the sound of a pick could be heard from the chamber of the tower . `` At last ! '' cried Dewes , springing to his feet . The six men hurried to the tower .