two o'clock in the afternoon
I wrote out my report and gave it to Sir George . We spoke little together . I did not see Magdalen Brant again until they bade me adieu . And now it was two o'clock in the afternoon ; Sir George had already set out with Magdalen Brant to Varicks ' by way of Stoner 's ; Elerson and Mount stood by the door , waiting to pilot me towards Gansevoort 's distant outposts ; the noon sunshine filled the deserted house and fell across the table where I sat , reading over my instructions from Schuyler ere I committed the paper to the flames . So far , no thanks to myself , I had carried out my orders in all save the apprehension of Walter Butler . And now I was uncertain whether to remain and hang around the council-fire waiting for an opportunity to seize Butler , or whether to push on at once , warn Gansevoort at Stanwix that St. Leger 's motley army had set out from Oswego , and then return to trap Butler at my leisure . I crumpled the despatch into a ball and tossed it onto the live coals in the fireplace ; the paper smoked , caught fire , and in a moment more the black flakes sank into the ashes .