about one o'clock
He would ` a ' welcomed a projical son of his own as often as occasion offered , but he was n't just the sort of a man to be a public welcomer . I could n't picture him puttin ' up a sign sayin ' , `` Projical sons turn to the left . If chicken is proferred to veal , shoot in the air twice when you get within a mile of the house . '' But I was too much elated to worry much , an ' along about one o'clock I rolled up my blankets , kicked out my fire , an ' started to drill . When the sun rose I was in sight of the ranch house , an ' the sun seemed to throw an arm around my shoulder an ' go skippin ' along by my side -- an ' I did skip now an ' again . When I got about a mile from the house I came upon Jabez , walkin ' slow an ' lookin ' down-hearted . He had n't changed a mite in the five years -- in fact from what I could see he had n't even changed his clothes ; so for a moment I thought his sour look was the same ill humor I 'd left him in ; an ' then I saw it was more serious , an ' my heart stopped with a thump .