one o'clock
Had they been in a situation to continue the siege longer than the morning , the case might have been different . But it was obvious that in order to secure their own safety , alarmed as they most know the governor would be at the absence of the party under his command , they would not remain longer than daylight exposed to the chances of being themselves closely assailed from without . Such was the reasoning of the Virginian , whose greatest source of discomfort now was the apprehension of serious reprimand , if not something worse , from the austere Captain Headley , whose displeasure , he was certain , would be so much the greater on account of the loss of the unfortunate Collins . He looked at his watch , but to his great annoyance , found that it had stopped , the hour-hand pointing to one o'clock . How long it had been run down , he could not tell , but from the time which had elapsed since their abandonment of the boat , and arrival in the house , he did not think it could be less than four in the morning . Desirous to satisfy himself by the appearance of the heavens , he arose , and with the aid of Green , placed the table under the window commanding a view of the river . This being too low , a chair was placed upon it , thus affording the corporal the advantage of greater elevation than he had derived from the use of the ladder itself .