six o'clock
There was nothing his friends would rather do than to be sworn in as deputies for a job like this . He had thought it a wonder that Peter had n't called the Sheriff in before . `` I thought I could manage the situation alone , Brierly , '' said Peter quietly , `` but it 's got the best of me . '' The way was long to Black Rock -- at least eight miles by the way they took -- and it was almost six o'clock when , they reached McGuire 's . They knew that with the `` flivver '' in the possession of the outlaws it was quite possible that some of the ringleaders of the disturbance might have preceded them , and so they kept under cover until near the house , when they quickly emerged from the bushes and made their way to the kitchen door , entering without knocking . An unpleasant surprise awaited them here , for in the kitchen , securely gagged and bound to a chair , they found McGuire 's valet , Stryker . It took only a moment to release the man and to get the gag out of his mouth , when he began sputtering and pointing toward the door into the house .