ten minutes after eight in the morning
He loved his aunt and knew she would make him and his chums welcome . `` I guess I can stay -- anyway , I 'll find out , '' answered Snap ; and Giant and Whopper said the same . Little did any of the boys dream of what strange happenings that visit to Railings was to bring forth . By consulting a time-table the boys found that a train for Railings left at ten minutes after eight in the morning . The distance to the city was thirty-three miles and the run on the country railroad took the best part of an hour and a quarter . Snap , Whopper and Giant were on hand ten minutes before train time . They found the doctor 's son ahead of them , and he had tickets for all .