About three o'clock
`` Wait awhile . '' Then , one afternoon , the Something happened . It was Jim who was the chosen one . About three o'clock he signalled to be hoisted up , and when he appeared he was carrying a pan of dirt . `` Call the others , '' he said . All together in the little cabin we stood round , while Jim washed out the pan in snow-water melt over our stove . I will never forget how eagerly we watched the gravel , and the whirling , dexterous movements of the old man .