four o'clock
It was a great triumph for us , and so Mr. Brown informed us , for he declared that he had never known the people of Ballarat so liberal before . Just as the old Scotchman was about to leave the shaft for dinner , he requested silence , as he thought he heard the voices of the imprisoned men . We all listened , and found that he was not mistaken , and the knowledges that I the men were alive was a sufficient incentive to urge us all to renewed exertion . Men forgot their dinners , and worked as though their own lives depended upon their labors , and without stopping to rest or eat , we continued on until four o'clock , when we raised the poor fellows to the surface of the earth , and found , with joy , that they were as well as could be expected , after so long an imprisonment . Shouts rent the air , and hundreds of miners rushed towards the shaft to congratulate the rescued men , and amid all the confusion , Fred , Smith , and myself walked off quietly , and sought that rest at our tent which we so much needed . We were just engaged drinking a pot of coffee , when , to our surprise , all three of the miners , Bill , Sam , and Jack , entered our tent , without ceremony . `` We are not very rich , '' Sam said , wiping his heated brow , and remaining uncovered while he addressed us , `` but we ca n't let three strangers , who have worked so hard for our deliverance , go unthanked .