about eleven o’clock at night
So there was nothing for it but to go on working with the crowbar . At length , towards the evening of the third day of their labour , when the two men were utterly tired out , a hole was broken through , demonstrating the fact that beneath this cover lay a hollow of some sort . Mr. Clifford , to say nothing of Benita , who was heartily weary of the business , wished to postpone proceedings till the morrow , but Jacob Meyer would not . So they toiled on until about eleven o'clock at night , when at length the aperture was of sufficient size to admit a man . Now , as in the case of the well , they let down a stone tied to a string , to find that the place beneath was not more than eight feet deep . Then , to ascertain the condition of the air , a candle was lowered , which at first went out , but presently burnt well enough . This point settled , they brought their ladder , whereby Jacob descended with a lantern .