nine o'clock
The engineer climbed down the little iron steps and examined the steel rods of his engine with clinking knocks from his hammer . Up and down in front of the dark station walked a Japanese sentinel and each time that he passed beyond the ring of light thrown by the two dimly burning lamps he seemed to be swallowed up in the darkness . Only two little windows at one end of the station were lighted up ; they belonged to the Japanese guard-room and had been walled up so that they were no wider than loop-holes . The train which inspected this district regularly between eight and nine o'clock each evening had passed by at 8.30 and proceeded in the direction of Portland . With the exception of the non-commissioned officer and the man in charge of the three arc-lamps on the roof that were to light up the surrounding country in case of a night-attack most of the soldiers had gone to sleep , although a few were engaged in a whispered conversation . Suddenly the sergeant sprang up as a muffled cry was heard from the outside . `` The lamps ! ''