nine o'clock
The old men went out and stood by the gate late in the evening . The moon was rising over the harbor ; it was a warm , still night . Sentries were pacing to and fro , for Boston was surrounded by sixteen thousand hostile men in arms . The nine o'clock bell rang . `` I must go back to the camp , '' said Franklin , for he had met Samuel within the American lines . `` Cousin Benjamin , these are perilous times , '' said Samuel . `` Justice is what the world needs .