nine in the evening
they all shouted ; `` and if we do n't find them marks we 'll lynch the whole gang ! '' I _ was _ scared , now , I tell you . But there war n't no getting away , you know . They gripped us all , and marched us right along , straight for the graveyard , which was a mile and a half down the river , and the whole town at our heels , for we made noise enough , and it was only nine in the evening . As we went by our house I wished I had n't sent Mary Jane out of town ; because now if I could tip her the wink she 'd light out and save me , and blow on our dead-beats . Well , we swarmed along down the river road , just carrying on like wildcats ; and to make it more scary the sky was darking up , and the lightning beginning to wink and flitter , and the wind to shiver amongst the leaves . This was the most awful trouble and most dangersome I ever was in ; and I was kinder stunned ; everything was going so different from what I had allowed for ; stead of being fixed so I could take my own time if I wanted to , and see all the fun , and have Mary Jane at my back to save me and set me free when the close-fit come , here was nothing in the world betwixt me and sudden death but just them tattoo-marks .