about three in the
afternoon
They were disappointed in the morning to see the solid wall of fog still surrounding the cabin . But Jeremy , sniffing the air like the true woodsman that he was , announced that there would be a change of weather before night , and set about rubbing the barrel of the flintlock till it gleamed . The day dragged slowly by . At last , about three in the afternoon , a slight wind from the northeast sprang up , and the wreaths of vapor began to drift away seaward . Luckily for the boys ' plans , both Tom and his father were inside the sheep-stockade when Bob took the pistols , powder and shot down from the wall , and with Jeremy went quietly forth . Before the mist had wholly cleared , they were well into the woods , climbing toward the summit of the ridge . Each kept a careful watch about , for they feared the possibility that a guard might have been set to observe movements at the cabin .