four o'clock in the afternoon
Vicenti left for San Carlos . In case it should be necessary to make the dash to Willemstad , Peter remained at the house to collect for the voyage provisions , medicine , stimulants , casks of water , and McKildrick and Roddy departed in the launch to lay the mine which was to destroy the barrier . On their way they stopped at the light-house , where McKildrick collected what he wanted for that purpose . It was now four o'clock in the afternoon , and by five they had entered the tunnel and reached the wall . McKildrick dug a hole in the cement a few feet above the base , and in this shoved a stick of dynamite of sixty per cent . nitro , and attached a number six cap and a fuse a foot long . This would burn for one minute and allow whoever lighted it that length of time to get under cover .