six o'clock
Phil was pacing up and down on the platform station , waiting uneasily for the operator to appear . After making ready , the men went off to breakfast , Teddy hanging about the car , busying himself with trifling matters . The car seemed to hold an unusual interest for him that morning . At six o'clock the livery rigs drove up and the rural route men were soon off for their day 's work . Phil started the lithographers and banner men out soon thereafter . About that time the operator arrived ; Phil wrote a message to the liveryman at the next town , inquiring if his rivals had reached there . The answer came back that nothing had been seen of them .