nine o'clock
See ? '' Quarter of an hour later Pike was once more on the top of the rock . First he glanced at his watch . Just nine o'clock . Then he sprawled at full length upon the blanket he had brought with him , levelled his glasses and , resting his elbows on the rock , gazed long and earnestly over the winding road . Presently he sat up , whipped off the red silk handkerchief about his neck , carefully wiped the eye and object glasses of his binocular and his own tired old eyes and , once more prone on his stomach , gazed again ; then twisted the screw a trifle as though to get a better focus ; gazed still another time ; lowered the glass ; rose to his knees , his eyes gleaming brilliantly and his teeth setting hard ; once more levelled the glass and looked with all his soul in his eyes and then slowly let the faithful binocular fall to the blanket by his side as he spoke aloud : `` By Jove ! They 're coming . ''