nine o'clock
When he played hooky from school on Thursday it never occurred to him that he would be answerable to the powers that be on Friday . Notwithstanding that he was a sentinel he could never look ahead . And when Keekie Joe smoked several of his father 's cigarettes on the way home , it never occurred to him that he would have to remain away from home through supper time , and until his father had retired for the night . Thus it was that at nine o'clock or thereabouts , Keekie Joe realized that he was hungry and that four cigarettes stood between him and home , effectually barring the way . He measured the licking that he would get against the supper that he would get , and he decided to go fishing . No doubt his choice was well considered for the supper that he would get might not be a good one whereas the licking that he would get would be nothing short of magnificent . Keekie Joe had not the slightest idea how to cook a fish and he could not think so far ahead as that .