six o'clock
And through it all , the consultation of the leaders , the falling hopes of the poll scouts , the gradual depression that crept over the spirits of the major and Cap and the rest of his near supports , David was a solid tower of strength . Then during the day the tension became tight and tighter , for how the fight was going exactly no one could tell and it seemed well-nigh impossible to stop the vote steal that was going on all over the city , protected by the organized government . Defeat seemed inevitable . So at six o'clock the disgusted Cap picked up his hat and started home and to the astonishment of the whole headquarters David Kildare calmly rose and followed him without a word to the others , who failed to realize that he had deserted until he was entirely gone . Billy Bob looked dashed with amazement , Hobson sat down limply in the deserted chair , Tom whistled -- but the major looked at them with a quizzical smile which was for a second reflected in Andrew Sevier 's face . Phoebe sat in Milly 's little nursery in the failing winter light which was augmented by the glow from the fire of coals . Little Billy Bob stood at her side within the circle of her arm , his head against her shoulder and his eyes wide with a delicious horror as he gazed upon a calico book whose pages were brilliant with the tragedy of the three bears , which she was reading very slowly and with many explanatory annotations .