eleven o'clock
Most of the citizens of the place who had leisure , came at some time that afternoon to look at the moving house , and many of them walked by its side , talking to the Barnards , who , as the sun was warm , stood at an open window , very much excited by the spirit of adventure , and quite willing to converse . Over and over they assured their neighbors that they would never know they were moving if they did not see the trees and things slowly passing by them . As they crossed the street and passed between two houses on the opposite side , the inhabitants of these gathered at their windows , and the conversation was very lively with the Barnards , as the house of the latter passed slowly by . All night that house moved on , and the young people of the village accompanied it until eleven o'clock , when the Barnards went to bed . Mr. Burke divided his time between watching the moving house , at which all the men who could be employed in any way , and all the horses which could be conveniently attached to the windlasses , were working in watches of four hours each , in order to keep them fresh and vigorous , -- and the lot where the new cellar was being constructed , where the masons continued their labors at night by the light of lanterns and a blazing bonfire fed with resinous pine . The excitement caused by these two scenes of activity was such that it is probable that few of the people of the town went to bed sooner than the Barnard family . Early the next morning the two Barnard boys looked out of the window of their bedroom and saw beneath them the Hastings ' barnyard , with the Hastings boy milking .