nine
o'clock
That evening , for the first time since his injury , Mr. Blakely took his horse and rode away southward in the soft moonlight , and had not returned when tattoo sounded . The post trader , coming up with the latest San Francisco papers , said he had stopped a moment to ask at the store whether Schandein , the ranchman justice of the peace before referred to , had recently visited the post . That evening , too , for the first time since his dangerous wound , Trooper Mullins awoke from his long delirium , weak as a little child ; asked for Norah , and what in the world was the matter with him -- in bed and bandages , and Dr. Graham , looking into the poor lad 's dim , half-opening eyes , sent a messenger to Captain Cutler 's quarters to ask would the captain come at once to hospital . This was at nine o'clock . Less than two hours later a mounted orderly set forth with dispatches from the temporary post commander to Colonel Byrne at Prescott . A wire from that point about sundown had announced the safe arrival of the party from Camp Sandy . The answer , sent at ten o'clock , broke up the game of whist at the quarters of the inspector general .