eight o'clock
In her keen disappointment she scarcely heard Dick 's concluding remark about the hurry of the colonel . My sharp ears , however , took this in and it was thought-provoking . Sampson was known to ride off at all hours , yet this incident seemed unusual . At eight o'clock the house and porch and patio were ablaze with lights . Every lantern and lamp on the place , together with all that could be bought and borrowed , had been brought into requisition . The cowboys arrived first , all dressed in their best , clean shaven , red faced , bright eyed , eager for the fun to commence . Then the young people from town , and a good sprinkling of older people , came in a steady stream .