seven o'clock
But he was not of the metal to be dismayed by the prospect of a great conflict . He was as cool as Cromwell , and after Mr. Tooting had left him to take charge once more of his own armies in the yield , the genlemon from Leith went to bed and slept soundly . The day of the battle dawned darkly , with great flakes flying . As early as seven o'clock the later cohorts began to arrive , and were soon as thick as bees in the Pelican , circulating in the lobby , conferring in various rooms of which they had the numbers with occupants in bed and out . A wonderful organization , that Feudal System , which could mobilize an army overnight ! And each unit of it , like the bee , working unselfishly for the good of the whole ; like the bee , flying straight for the object to be attained . Every member of the House from Putnam County , for instance , was seen by one of these indefatigable captains , and if the member had a mortgage or an ambition , or a wife and family that made life a problem , or a situation on the railroad or in some of the larger manufacturing establishments , let him beware !