about ten o'clock
But we knew they 'd tackle it by themselves if we backed out . So we agreed to make one thing of it . We were to meet at a place about ten miles off and ride over there together . Just about ten o'clock we closed in on the place , and left Billy the Boy and Warrigal with the horses , while we sneaked up . We could n't get near , though , without his knowing it , for he always had a lot of sporting dogs -- pointers , retrievers , kangaroo dogs , no end . They kicked up a deuce of a row , and barked and howled enough to raise the dead , before we got within a quarter of a mile from the house . Of course he was on his guard then , and before long the bullets began to fly pretty thick among us , and we had to take cover to return fire and keep as dark as we could .