two in the morning
They crawled and climbed and scrambled over high ethical plateaux and ranges , or drowned themselves in metaphysical seas of sentimentality . Curly Jim sweated and fumed and poured out the whisky . He found himself with a score of arguments on his hands , not one of which had anything to do with the gold-mine he wanted to buy . The longer they talked the farther away they got from that gold-mine , and at two in the morning Curly Jim acknowledged himself beaten . One by one he led his helpless guests across the kitchen floor and thrust them outside . O'Brien came last , and the three , with arms locked for mutual aid , titubated gravely on the stoop . `` Good business man , Curly , '' O'Brien was saying .