three o'clock
This was not a high position , but in eight days he would be on his way to San Francisco . The performance was advertised to commence at three o'clock , and although Passe-partout had not rehearsed the `` business , '' he was obliged to form one of the human pyramid composed of the `` Long-Noses of the God Tingou . '' This was the great attraction , and was to close the performance . The house was crowded before three o'clock by people of all races , ages , and sexes . The musicians took up their positions , and performed vigorously on their noisy instruments . The performance was very much the same as all acrobatic displays ; but it must be stated that the Japanese are the cleverest acrobats in the world . One of them , with a fan and a few bits of paper , did the butterfly and flower trick ; another traced in the air with the smoke of his pipe a compliment to the audience ; another juggled with some lighted candles which he extinguished successively as they passed his mouth , and which he relit one after the other without for a moment ceasing his sleight-of-hand performances ; another produced a series of spinning-tops which , in his hands , played all kinds of pranks as they whirled round -- they ran along the stems of pipes , on the edges of swords , upon wires , and even on hairs stretched across the stage ; they spun round crystal goblets , crossed bamboo ladders , ran into all the comers of the stage , and made strange music , combining various tones , as they revolved .