twelve o'clock
This was in reality the only way by which to penetrate into Granite House so as to fight with and drive out the intruders . The opening was , it is true , closed up with a wall of cemented stones , which it would be necessary to sacrifice , but that could easily be rebuilt . Fortunately , Cyrus Harding had not as yet effected his project of hiding this opening by raising the waters of the lake , for the operation would then have taken some time . It was already past twelve o'clock when the colonists , well armed and provided with picks and spades , left the Chimneys , passed beneath the windows of Granite House , after telling Top to remain at his post , and began to ascend the left bank of the Mercy , so as to reach Prospect Heights . But they had not made fifty steps in this direction , when they heard the dog barking furiously . And all rushed down the bank again . Arrived at the turning , they saw that the situation had changed .