about nine o'clock in the morning
But the policeman replied to it without any such feeling , and passed on with his faithful Peter trailing leisurely behind him . It was Big Brother Bill 's third morning in the valley of Leaping Creek , and in that brief time his optimism and enthusiasm for the affairs of life in general had suffered shocks from which , at the moment , recovery seemed altogether doubtful . Like all simple natures , once mental disquiet set in it was not easily shaken off . So , about nine o'clock in the morning , he found himself sitting on the sill of the barn doorway , his broad back propped against the casing , hugging his troubles to himself , and , incidentally , smoking like a miniature smoke-stack . The place was quite still under the blazing morning sun ; a collar-chain rattled inside the barn where a few horses stood impatiently swishing off the attacks of troublesome flies with their long tails ; a hen , somewhere nearby , clucked to her brood of wandering chicks ; an occasional grunt , and curious snuffing , came from the regions of the dilapidated hog pen . These were the only signs of life about the place . For Charlie , after displaying an unusual taciturnity , had taken himself off for the day , upon work which he had declared to be imperative , and Kid Blaney , after feeding and watering his horses , had done the same thing , on a similar excuse .