About four o'clock in the afternoon
he soliloquised . `` I ca n't enlighten old Rupert just now . Revelations must come later -- if , as he remarked , we do come out of this business alive . '' About four o'clock in the afternoon the irritating rifle fire ceased . Fifteen minutes passed without a shot winging its way from the dense scrub ; and although one or two of the defenders boldly stood upon the parapet to draw the enemy , their tempting position brought no response . `` Guess we 'll hike out and bring in some water , '' declared one . `` No time like the present , and we are as dry as a bone . ''