ten minutes to ten
His success seemed to please rather than tease the other boys , and , to repay them for their consideration , Evan decided it was up to him to make a few bets . He played rather recklessly after a couple of good winnings , saying to himself that the game was going to be short-lived ; and his recklessness brought him luck . How the time flew ! Evan looked at his watch and could not believe his eyes -- it was ten minutes to ten . He mentioned the fact to the boys . `` By Jove ! '' exclaimed Watson , `` I must go down and have a swig before the bars close .