nine o'clock
They had walked from their home in the gray dawn in order to assist at the preliminaries to the breakfast which had to be eaten by a large company of the dalesmen before certain of them set out on the long journey across the fells . The previous day had been the day of the `` winding , '' a name that pointed to the last offices of Abraham Strong , the Wythburn carpenter . In the afternoon of the winding day the mistresses of the houses within the `` warning '' had met to offer liberal doses of solace and to take equally liberal doses of sweet broth , a soup sweetened with raisins and sugar , which was reserved for such melancholy occasions . According to ancient custom , the `` maister men '' of the dale were to assemble at nine o'clock on the morning following the winding , and it was to meet their needs that old Mrs. Branthwaite and her daughter had walked over to assist Rotha . The long oak table had to be removed from the wall before the window , and made to stand down the middle of the floor . Robbie Anderson had arrived early at the Moss in order to effect this removal . After his muscles had exercised themselves upon the ponderous article of furniture , and had placed the benches called skemmels down each side and chairs at each end , he went into the stable to dress down the mare and sharpen her shoes preparatory to her long journey .