nine o'clock
Next morning Terry rose as the first sleepy cock challenged the pink-streaked day . Shaving in the dim light , he watched the plaza merge out of its darkness and fill with the natives passing listlessly to field or waterfront . A few short minutes and the day arrived hot and still : hens sauntered forth to begin their tireless , day-long , scratching search : bony curs , sleepy after their instinctive vigils through the night , made couches in the dusty road : across from where Terry stood at his bedroom window , the four daughters of his Tagalog neighbor sat in a little circle on a sunny bamboo porch structure , each intently examining another 's loosened hair in a community search for -- well , for whatever might be found . By nine o'clock he had snapped the company through a sharp drill and by noon had finished the weekly inspection . The afternoon passed in preparation of monthly reports scheduled to go on the mailboat expected in that evening . It is the function of the Constabulary to know everything that transpires : health conditions , state of crops , appearance of any strangers , activities of native demagogues , movements of suspicious characters , morale of the people . Everything is observed and reported , and summarized at headquarters to form the basis for intelligent handling of a difficult problem .