seven o'clock
The tape-measure , of course , was a most essential part of the outfit . Susan declared that she would take exclusive charge of that herself ; it made her feel that she was of importance , she said . During all the evening she was quite quivering with excitement -- and so was I , for that matter -- and I do n't believe that we slept forty winks apiece all night long . We were up bright and early , and got off before seven o'clock -- after Susan had given the colored girl a great many directions as to what she should and should not do while we were gone . This was the first time that we ever had left the colored girl alone in the house for a whole day , and Susan could not help feeling rather anxious about her . It would be dreadful , she said , to come home at night and find her bobbing up and down dead at the bottom of the well . As we drew near the bay I asked several people whom we happened to meet along the road if they knew where Pequinky Creek was , and I was rather surprised to find that they all said they did n't .