ten
o'clock
The Squire Posts Sentries -- Sylvanus Arrests Tryphosa -- Change of Watchword -- Nash Leads an Advance -- The Cheek of Grinstuns -- The Hound -- Guard-room Conversation -- Incipient Fires Extinguished -- The Idiot Boy -- Grinstun 's Awful Cheek -- The Lawyer and the Parson Theologize -- Coristine 's Hands -- Doctor and Miss Halbert . The full strength of the garrison was twelve able-bodied men , of whom five carried fowling pieces , one a blunderbuss , another a carbine , another a rifle , and four were armed with pistols . The Squire was in supreme command , and Mr. Nash was adjutant . They decided that the garrison as a whole should go on guard for the night , that is , from ten o'clock till six in the morning , a period of eight hours , making , as the Captain put it , four watches of two hours each . Thus the remaining ten were divided into two guards of five , and , as the morning guard , from four to six , would probably not be required , it was determined to put those who had most need of rest on the companion one from twelve to two . These were Captain Thomas , the veteran Terry , the two parsons , with Wilkinson , who was thrown in simply as a pistol man , the only other of the kind being the lawyer . With ammunition in their pockets , or slung round their shoulders , the first guard sallied forth under the Squire 's guidance .