nine o’clock
Strangely enough , the morning began without the gusty wind so common to that latitude , and the six inches of powdery white dust did not rise . The wind , too , waited . The powers of heaven smiled in the clear , quiet morning , but the powers of hell waited -- for the hours to come , the night and the darkness . At nine o'clock a mob of five thousand men had congregated around the station , most of them out in the open , on the desert side of the track . They were waiting for the pay-train to arrive . This hour was the only orderly one that Benton ever saw . There were laughter , profanity , play -- a continuous hum , but compared to Benton 's usual turmoil , it was pleasant .