eleven o'clock
`` I 've asked him to ride down right away . He 'll probably come in a few hours and spend the night here . '' After they had eaten supper they returned to the living room , where a great fire , built by Jim the negro horse wrangler , was roaring up the chimney . It was almost eleven o'clock when horses galloped up and Dillon came into the house , followed by Jed Briscoe . The latter looked triumphant , the former embarrassed as he disgorged letters and newspapers from his pocket . `` I stopped at the office to get the mail as I came down . Here 's yore paper , Ruth . ''