About three o'clock in the
     morning
`` So it is , '' added Sam . `` What else does dad say , '' he went on , and Dick continued the reading of the letter : `` At first I was inclined to treat the communication lightly and laugh at it , but then came another letter -- a mere scrawl , stating they would give me a taste of what to expect that night . I told the detective of this and he came to the house and remained all night with us . About three o'clock in the morning there was an explosion outside , and when we dressed and ran out we found one of the chicken houses blown to flinders by dynamite or some other explosive . About one hundred chickens were destroyed . '' `` Just listen to that ! '' gasped Tom .