twelve o'clock
The pool glittered like a dead man 's eye , and as the world awoke a breeze blew , shaking and elongating the reflection of the moon without breaking it , and turning the image of the star to a phosphoric streak upon the water . All this Oak saw and remembered . As far as could be learnt it appeared that the poor young dog , still under the impression that since he was kept for running after sheep , the more he ran after them the better , had at the end of his meal off the dead lamb , which may have given him additional energy and spirits , collected all the ewes into a corner , driven the timid creatures through the hedge , across the upper field , and by main force of worrying had given them momentum enough to break down a portion of the rotten railing , and so hurled them over the edge . George 's son had done his work so thoroughly that he was considered too good a workman to live , and was , in fact , taken and tragically shot at twelve o'clock that same day -- another instance of the untoward fate which so often attends dogs and other philosophers who follow out a train of reasoning to its logical conclusion , and attempt perfectly consistent conduct in a world made up so largely of compromise . Gabriel 's farm had been stocked by a dealer -- on the strength of Oak 's promising look and character -- who was receiving a percentage from the farmer till such time as the advance should be cleared off . Oak found that the value of stock , plant , and implements which were really his own would be about sufficient to pay his debts , leaving himself a free man with the clothes he stood up in , and nothing more . Two months passed away .