about three o'clock
The office was crowded . Devers sat in the colonel 's chair pencilling despatches to be sent to department head-quarters . Around him , sitting or standing , were most of the officers of the garrison , either silently regarding him or chatting in low tone . All that was known was that Sam Poole , one of the best and most daring scouts employed at the agency , had ridden into Braska about three o'clock , his horse nearly spent , with the news that the whole gang of Sioux had risen in revolt and attacked the agent . He left at 8.15 Friday night with McPhail 's plea for instant help and all they could send of it , but so deep were the drifts in places and so exhausted was his horse that it had taken him all that time to reach the railway . The wire was still down and he bore the latest news . There could be no mistake : the attack had fairly begun before he was out of hearing .